Petit

Fr. Small; minor; inconsiderable. Used in several compounds, and sometimes written "petty."

— Petit cape. A judicial writ, issued in the old1 actions for the recovery of land, requiring the sheriff to take possession of the estate, where the tenant, after having appeared in answer to the summons, made default in a subsequent stage of the proceedings. As to petit "Jury," "Larceny," "Sergeanty," and "Treason," see those titles.