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Petit

//ˈpɛtət// adj, name, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Petite: small, little. uncommon

    "And by what small, petit Hints does the Mind catch hold of, and recover a vanishing Notion?"

  2. 2
    Petty, in its various senses:; Few in number. obsolete
  3. 3
    Petty, in its various senses:; Unimportant; cheap; easily replaced. uncommon
  4. 4
    Petty, in its various senses:; Small, minor.
  5. 5
    Petty, in its various senses:; Secondary; lower in rank. archaic
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    A little schoolboy. obsolete, plural-normally
  2. 2
    Synonym of brevier. dated, uncountable
  3. 3
    A kind of pigeon. obsolete, rare

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

From French petit (“brevier”) directly or via German Petit (“brevier”).

Etymology 4

From French Petit.

See also for "petit"

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