Petit \Pet"it\, a. [F. See Petty.]

Small; little; insignificant; mean; -- Same as Petty. [Obs., except in legal language.]

By what small, petit hints does the mind catch hold of and recover a vanishing notion. --South.

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 ma[^i]tre. [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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)