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; 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…

The mildest form of epilepsy, with momentary faintness or unconsciousness, but without convulsions; -- opposed to grand mal.

Small, little; of a woman or girl, of small size and trim figure.

power, rank, or authority; also, a single clause in such a prayer. A house of prayer and petition for thy people. 1 Macc. vii. 37. This last petition heard of all her prayer. Dryden.

By way of begging the question; by an assumption. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Supplicatory; making a petition. Pardon Rome, and any petitionary countrymen. Shak.

A person cited to answer, or defend against, a petition.

One who presents a petition.

The act of presenting apetition; a supplication.

One who seeks or asks; a seeker; an applicant. [R.] Fuller.

Petitioning; soliciting; supplicating. Sir W. Hamilton. Petitory suit or action (Admiralty Law), a suit in which the mere title to property is litigated and sought to be enforced, as distinguished from a possessory suit; also (Scots Law), a suit wherein the plaintiff claims something as due him by the defendant. Burril…

esire for some personal gratification, either of the body or of the mind. The object of appetite it whatsoever sensible good may be wished for; the object of will is that good which reason does lead us to seek. Hooker.

Desire; a longing for, or seeking after, something. Holland.

Having the quality of desiring gratification; as, appetitive power or faculty. Sir M. Hale.

ed by for before the object sought, and with before the person or thing competed with. Competition to the crown there is none, nor can be. Bacon. A portrait, with which one of Titian's could not come in competititon. Dryden. There is no competition but for the second place. Dryden. Where competition does not act at all…

Of or pertaining to competition; producing competition; competitory; as, a competitive examination.

her seeks, or claims what another claims; one who competes; a rival. And can not brook competitors in love. Shak.

Acting in competition; competing; rival.

A woman who competes.

A competitress.