Small; little; insignificant; mean; -- Same as Petty. [1913 Webster]
"By what small, petit hints does the mind catch hold of and recover a vanishing notion."
[1913 Webster]
Petit constable, an inferior civil officer, subordinate to the high constable. --
Petit jury, a jury of twelve men, impaneled to try causes at the bar of a court; -- so called in distinction from the grand jury. --
Petit larceny, the stealing of goods of, or under, a certain specified small value; -- opposed to grand larceny. The distinction is abolished in England. --
Petit maître(/). [F., lit., little master.]A fop; a coxcomb; a ladies' man.Goldsmith. --
Petit serjeanty(Eng. Law), the tenure of lands of the crown, by the service of rendering annually some implement of war, as a bow, an arrow, a sword, a flag, etc. --
Petit treason, formerly, in England, the crime of killing a person to whom the offender owed duty or subjection, as one's husband, master, mistress, etc. The crime is now not distinguished from murder.