PETTY

petty. Petty, a. small, little, trifling, inconsiderable, low

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Pet″ty (?), a. [Compar. Pettier (?); superl. Pettiest.] [[OE. petit, F. petit; probably of Celtic origin, and akin to E. piece. Cf. Petit.]] Little; trifling; inconsiderable; also, inferior; subordinate; as, a petty fault; a petty prince. Denham. Like a petty god I walked about, admired of all. Milton. Petty averages. See under Average. — Petty cash, money expended or received in small items or amounts. — Petty officer, a subofficer in the navy, as a gunner, etc., corresponding to a noncommissionned officer in the army. ☞ For petty constable, petty jury, petty larceny, petty treason, See Petit. Syn. — Little; diminutive; inconsiderable; inferior; trifling; trivial; unimportant; frivolous.