petit treason

Petit \Pet"it\ (p[e^]t"[y^]; F. pe*t[-e]"), a. [F. See {Petty}.]
   Small; little; insignificant; mean; -- Same as {Petty}.
   [Obs., except in legal language.]
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         By what small, petit hints does the mind catch hold of
         and recover a vanishing notion.          --South.
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   {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 ma[^i]tre}. [F., lit., little master.] A fop; a
      coxcomb; a ladies' man. --Goldsmith.

   {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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Treason \Trea"son\, n. [OE. tresun, treisun, traisoun, OF.
   tra["i]son, F. trahison, L. traditio a giving up, a
   delivering up, fr. tradere to give up, betray. See {Traitor},
   and cf. {Tradition}.]
   1. The offense of attempting to overthrow the government of
      the state to which the offender owes allegiance, or of
      betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power;
      disloyalty; treachery.
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            The treason of the murthering in the bed. --Chaucer.
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   Note: In monarchies, the killing of the sovereign, or an
         attempt to take his life, is treason. In England, to
         imagine or compass the death of the king, or of the
         queen consort, or of the heir apparent to the crown, is
         high treason, as are many other offenses created by
         statute. In the United States, treason is confined to
         the actual levying of war against the United States, or
         to an adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and
         comfort.
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   2. Loosely, the betrayal of any trust or confidence;
      treachery; perfidy.
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            If he be false, she shall his treason see.
                                                  --Chaucer.
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   {Petit treason}. See under {Petit}.
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