\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.