companion animal

noun

: a domesticated animal : pet

… an amazing tour de force of animal-human relationships, with chapters on our companion animals, as well as on livestock, wildlife, and zoos.

—Tim Flannery, The New York Times Book Review, 29 Apr. 2009

These companion animals are being used very specifically as adjuncts in the therapy of disabled people.

—Patricia Curtis, Smithsonian, July 1981

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

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