petty jury

noun

(in a civil or criminal proceeding) a jury, usually of 12 persons, impaneled to determine the facts and render a verdict pursuant to the court's instructions on the law.

Also petit jury.

Compare grand jury.

Origin of petty jury

First recorded in 1680–90

Also called traverse jury.

Related formspetty juror, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for petty jury

Historical Examples of petty jury

In short, he is a very sensible man; shoots flying; and has been several times foreman of the petty-jury.
Days with Sir Roger De Coverley
Joseph Addison and Richard Steele

British Dictionary definitions for petty jury

petty jury

noun

a variant spelling of petit jury

Derived Formspetty juror, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012