petty
An outbuilding used as a lavatoryAn outbuilding used as a lavatory; an outhouse, a privy.
» I think that Tom is petty.
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
3 senses(dialectal, euphemistic, informal)An outbuilding used as a lavatory; an outhouse, a privy.
(historical)A class or school for young schoolboys.
(also, figuratively, in the plural, obsolete)A little schoolboy, either in grade or size.
- larceny of property having a value less than some amount (the amount varies by locale)
Examples
69 sentencesI think that Tom is petty.
I was involved in a petty argument.
Tom is just being petty, isn't he?
Tom can be quite petty at times.
What a petty thing to do!
Origin
The adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and otheThe adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman petit, Middle French petit, and Old French peti, petit, pitet (“young; little, small; inferior; insignificant”) (modern French petit), ultimately of imitative origin. It is no longer thought that the word is derived from Celtic. Doublet of petit and petite.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: pettiesSynonyms
61 synonyms- larceny of property having a value less than some amount (the amount varies by locale):petit larcenypetty larceny