pet·it jury /ˈpɛti-/
Pet·it a. Small; little; 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 of a court; -- so called in distinction from the grand jury.
Petit larceny, the stealing of goods of, or under, a certain specified small value; -- opposed to grand larceny. The distinction is abolished in England.
Petit maître
Petit serjeanty Eng. Law, the tenure of lands of the crown, by the service of rendering annually some implement of war, as a bow, an arrow, a sword, a flag, etc.
Petit treason, formerly, in England, the crime of killing a person to whom the offender owed duty or subjection, as one's husband, master, mistress, etc. The crime is now not distinguished from murder.
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petit jury
n : a jury of 12 to determine the facts and decide the issue in
civil or criminal proceedings [syn: petty jury]