Part 222

This last petition heard of all her prayer.

Dryden.

2. A formal written request addressed to an official person, or to an organized body, having power to grant it; specifically (Law), a supplication to government, in either of its branches, for the granting of a particular grace or right; -- in distinction from a memorial, which calls certain facts to mind; also, the written document.

Petition of right (Law), a petition to obtain possession or restitution of property, either real or personal, from the Crown, which suggests such a title as controverts the title of the Crown, grounded on facts disclosed in the petition itself. Mozley & W. -- The Petition of Right (Eng. Hist.), the parliamentary declaration of the rights of the people, assented to by Charles I.

Pe*ti"tion, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Petitioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Petitioning.] To make a prayer or request to; to ask from; to solicit; to entreat; especially, to make a formal written supplication, or application to, as to any branch of the government; as, to petition the court; to petition the governor.

You have . . . petitioned all the gods for my prosperity.

Shak.

Pe*ti"tion, v. i. To make a petition or solicitation.

Pe*ti"tion*a*ri*ly (?), adv. By way of begging the question; by an assumption. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Pe*ti"tion*a*ry (?), a. 1. Supplicatory; making a petition.

Pardon Rome, and any petitionary countrymen.

Shak.

2. Containing a petition; of the nature of a petition; as, a petitionary epistle. Swift.

Pe*ti`tion*ee" (?), n. A person cited to answer, or defend against, a petition.

Pe*ti"tion*er (?), n. One who presents a petition.

Pe*ti"tion*ing, n. The act of presenting apetition; a supplication.

Pet"i*tor (?), n. [L., fr. petere to seek.] One who seeks or asks; a seeker; an applicant. [R.] Fuller.

Pet"i*to*ry (?), a. [L. petitorius, fr. petere, petitum, to beg, ask: cf. F. pÈtitore.] Petitioning; soliciting; supplicating. Sir W. Hamilton.

Petitory suit or action (Admiralty Law), a suit in which the mere title to property is litigated and sought to be enforced, as distinguished from a possessory suit; also (Scots Law), a suit wherein the plaintiff claims something as due him by the defendant. Burrill.

Pe*tong" (?), n. (Metal.) See Packfong.

Pe*tral"o*gy (?), n. See Petrology.

Pet"ra*ry (?), n. [L. petra stone. Cf. Sp. petraria, and E. Pederero.] An ancient war engine for hurling stones.

Pe"tre (p"tr), n. See Saltpeter.

Pe*tre"an (p*tr"an), a. [L. petraeus, Gr. petrai^os, fr. pe`tra a rock.] Of or pertaining to rock. G. S. Faber.

Pe"trel (?), n. [F. pÈtrel; a dim. of the name Peter, L. Petrus, Gr. &?; a stone (John i. 42); -- probably so called in allusion to St. Peter's walking on the sea. See Petrify.] (Zoˆl.) Any one of numerous species of longwinged sea birds belonging to the family ProcellaridÊ. The small petrels, or Mother Carey's chickens, belong to Oceanites, Oceanodroma, Procellaria, and several allied genera.

Diving petrel, any bird of the genus Pelecanoides. They chiefly inhabit the southern hemisphere. -- Fulmar petrel, Giant petrel. See Fulmar. -- Pintado petrel, the Cape pigeon. See under Cape. -- Pintado petrel, any one of several small petrels, especially Procellaria pelagica, or Mother Carey's chicken, common on both sides of the Atlantic.

Pe*tres"cence (?), n. The process of changing into stone; petrification.

Pe*tres"cent (?), a. [L. petra rock, stone, Gr. &?;.] Petrifying; converting into stone; as, petrescent water. Boyle.