/ˈpɛti/, /pəˈtiː/, /ˈpɛtət/
OriginFrom 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.
- uncommonPetite: small, little.
“And by what small, petit Hints does the Mind catch hold of, and recover a vanishing Notion?”
- obsoleteFew in number.
- uncommonUnimportant; cheap; easily replaced.
- Small, minor.
- archaicSecondary; lower in rank.
- obsolete, plural-normallyA little schoolboy.
- obsolete, rareA kind of pigeon.
- dated, uncountableSynonym of brevier.
Formsmore petit(comparative) · most petit(superlative) · petits(plural)