petto

/ˈpɛtoʊ/
noun
  1. A phrase meaning 'in one's private thoughts or secretly,' used only in the expression 'in petto.'
    • She held her true feelings in petto, not sharing them with anyone.
    • The manager kept his decision in petto until the meeting.
    • The plan remained in petto for weeks before being announced.
What does "petto" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean