Petit adj. 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." 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. A fop; a coxcomb; a ladies' man.
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.
