March 13, 2026
petty
/ˈpɛti/noun
A young or junior schoolboy, whether small in size or in a low grade; usually used in the plural.
Example sentences
- “The petties filed into the hall behind the older pupils.”
- “In the old school records, the petties had their own classroom on the ground floor.”
Everyday use is the adjective meaning small or trivial: petty complaints, petty theft. The schoolboy sense is now rare.