Search the Dictionary

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.

A petty love affair or amour. [Obs.]

nt vessel of the largest size. Where your argosies with portly sail . . . Do overpeer the petty traffickers. Shak.

d it is borne by the individual owners of the articles damaged, or by their insurers. -- Petty averages are sundry small charges, which occur regularly, and are necessarily defrayed by the master in the usual course of a voyage; such as port charges, common pilotage, and the like, which formerly were, and in some case…

a variety of duties, as the preservation of order in church service, the chastisement of petty offenders, etc.

To contend in petulant altercation; to wrangle. Petty things about which men cark and bicker. Barrow.

that which, bothers; state of perplexity or annoyance; embarrassment; worry; disturbance; petty trouble; as, to be in a bother.

A broil; a noisy contest; a wrangle. This petty brabble will undo us all. Shak.

A chief or petty king among some tribes of Indians in America.

Like a chandler; in a petty way. [Obs.] Milton.

A species of European warbler (Sylvia hippolais); -- called also chip-chap, and pettychaps.

The steersman of a boat; a petty officer who has charge of a boat and its crew.

corporal, an assistant corporal on private's pay. Farrow. -- Ship's corporal (Naut.), a petty officer who assists the master at arms in his various duties.

One who collect customs; a toll gatherer. [Obs.] The customers of the small or petty custom and of the subsidy do demand of them custom for kersey cloths. Hakluyt.

d sell, they deal and traffic. South. This is to drive to wholesale trade, when all other petty merchants deal but for parcels. Dr. H. More.

That may be caught or discovered; apprehensible. [Obs.] Petty. -- Dep`re*hen"si*ble*ness, n. [Obs.]

A petty money of accounts of Persia.

Like a dwarf; below the common stature or size; very small; petty; as, a dwarfish animal, shrub. -- Dwarf"ish*ly, adv. -- Dwarf"ish*ness, n.