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Containing, or consisting of, petrosilex.

A solid unctuous material, of which candles are made.

Like stone; hard; stony; rocky; as, the petrous part of the temporal bone. Hooper.

See Pettychaps.

A loose under-garment worn by women, and covering the body below the waist. Petticoat government, government by women, whether in politics or domestic affairs. [Colloq.] -- Petticoat pipe (Locomotives), a short, flaring pipe surrounding the blast nozzle in the smoke box, to equalize the draft.

To do a petty business as a lawyer; also, to do law business in a petty or tricky way. "He takes no money, but pettifogs gratis." S. Butler.

A lawyer who deals in petty cases; an attorney whose methods are mean and tricky; an inferior lawyer. A pettifogger was lord chancellor. Macaulay.

The practice or arts of a pettifogger; disreputable tricks; quibbles. Quirks of law, and pettifoggeries. Barrow.

Pettifoggery.

To act as a pettifogger; to use contemptible tricks. De Quincey.

In a petty manner; frivolously.

The quality or state of being petty or paltry; littleness; meanness.

Fretful; peevish; moody; capricious; inclined to ill temper. "A pettish kind of humor." Sterne. -- Pet"tish*ly, adv. -- Pet"tish*ness, n.

The toes or feet of a pig, -- often used as food; sometimes, in contempt, the human feet. Shak.

The breast. In petto, in the breast; hence, in secrecy; in reserve.

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 gu…

Any one of several species of small European singing birds of the subfamily Sylviinæ, as the willow warbler, the chiff-chaff, and the golden warbler (Sylvia hortensis).

The needle furze. See under Needle.

The quality or state of being petulant; temporary peevishness; pettishness; capricious ill humor. "The petulancy of our words." B. Jonson. Like pride in some, and like petulance in others. Clarendon. The lowering eye, the petulance, the frown. Cowper.

Capriciously fretful; characterized by ill-natured freakishness; irritable. "Petulant moods." Macaulay.