Fr. Small; minor, inconsiderable. Used in several compounds, and sometimes written “petty.” Petit cape. A judicial writ, issued in the old actions for the recovery of land, requiring the sheriff to take possession of the estate, where the tenant, after ha vine 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.