Petit \Pet"it\ (p[e^]t"[y^]; F. pe*t[-e]"), a. [F. See Petty.]
   Small; little; insignificant; mean; -- Same as Petty.
   [Obs., except in legal language.]
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         By what small, petit hints does the mind catch hold of
         and recover a vanishing notion.          --South.
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   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.
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PETIT, sometimes corrupted into petty. A French word signifying little, 
small. It is frequently used, as petit larceny, petit jury, petit treason. 

PETIT, TREASON, English law. The killing of a master by his servant; a 
husband by his wife; a superior by a secular or religious man. In the United 
States this is like any other murder. See High, Treason; Treason.