petty officer

2 definitions found

petty officer - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Petty \Pet"ty\ (p[e^]t"t[y^]), a. [Compar. Pettier
     (p[e^]t"t[i^]*[~e]r); superl. Pettiest.] [OE. petit, F.
     petit; probably of Celtic origin, and akin to E. piece. Cf.
     Petit.]
     Little; trifling; inconsiderable; unimportant; also,
     inferior; subordinate; as, a petty fault; petty complaints; a
     petty prince. --Denham.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Like a petty god
           I walked about, admired of all.          --Milton.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Petty averages. See under Average.
  
     Petty cash, money expended or received in small items or
        amounts.
  
     Petty officer, a subofficer in the navy, as a gunner, etc.,
        corresponding to a noncommissionned officer in the army.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: For petty constable, petty jury, petty larceny, petty
           treason, See Petit.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Little; diminutive; inconsiderable; inferior; trifling;
          trivial; unimportant; frivolous.
          [1913 Webster]

petty officer - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  petty officer
      n 1: a noncommissioned officer in the Navy or Coast Guard with a
           rank comparable to sergeant in the Army [syn: petty officer
           , PO, P.O.]