† ˈpetty ˈcaptain, ˌpettiˈcaptain Obs.
Also 5 pety-capteyne, 6–7 petit-capteyn, etc.: see petty, petit, captain.
An officer below a captain; a lieutenant. Also formerly used to render various ancient titles, e.g. centurion.
| c 1420 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 635 As for pety capteyns many mother wase. Ibid. 1093 Whyle these pety-capteynes susteyned thus the feelde. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. iii. ix. 185, I telle the that the pety captayne whiche is vndre the captayne princypall may not godely doo this. 1526 Tindale Matt. xxvii. 54 When the pety Captayne..sawe the erth quake. 1548 Privy Council Acts (1890) II. 160 Every captain to give yearely ijs; every petit-captein xij{supd}. 1563 Golding Cæsar (1565) 30 The old beaten soldiors, and the peticapteynes [centuriones], and those that had the charge of the men of armes, were sore troubled. 1586 J. Hooker Hist. Irel. in Holinshed II. 95/1 Holland, petit Captaine to the earle of Salisbury. 1633 T. Stafford Pac. Hib. i. i. 12 Two shillings by the day for a petty Captaine. |