Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - petty officer

 noun  Date: 1744 a subordinate officer in the navy or coast guard appointed from among the enlisted men — compare noncommissioned officer PETTY  biographical name Sir William 1623-1687 English politician economist PETTY  adjective  (pettier; -est)  Etymology: Middle English pety small, minor, alteration of petit  Date: 14th century  1. having secondary rank or importance ; minor, subordinate  2. having little or no importance or significance  3. marked by or reflective of narrow interests and sympathies ; small-minded  • pettily adverb  • pettiness noun