English Explanatory Dictionary

petit

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Petite: small, little.
  2. Petty, in its various senses:
  3. Few in number.
  4. Unimportant; cheap; easily replaced.
  5. Small, minor.
  6. Secondary; lower in rank.
noun
  1. A little schoolboy.
  2. A kind of pigeon.
noun
  1. Synonym of brevier.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɛti/ /pəˈtiː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-petit.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-petit2.wav /ˈpɛtət/ /pəˈti/ /pəˈtit/

Word forms

petit more petit most petit petits

Etymology

From Middle English petit, from Old French petit, from Late Latin *pitittus, diminutive of Latin *pit-, possibly from Proto-Celtic *pett- (“part, bit, piece”) (see Latin pettia), or of imitative origin. Compare also Latin pitinnus (“small”), pitulus, Italian pezza. Doublet of petty.

Synonyms

brevier

Related words

petite petty petit gâteau puisne puny

Derived words

petit bag petit bourgeois petit bribing petit-bribing petit canon petit cape petit captain petit chapman petit constable petit custom petit final petit god petit juror petit jury petit larceny petit maître petit morel petit officer petit pâté petit sergeant petit sergeanty petit serjeanty petit session petit souper petit treason
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