Pĕt'ū-lance or Pĕt'ū-lan-cy, n.

n. [Lat. petulantia, Fr. pétulance, Sp. petulancia, It. petulanzia, petulanza.] The state of being petulant; freakish passion; peevishness; pettishness; sauciness. That which looked like pride in some, and petulance in others. Clarendon. The pride and petulance of youth. Watts. Syn.—PEEVISHNESS. — Peevishness is not precisely synonymous with petulance; the former implying more permanence of a sour, fretful temper; the latter, more temporary or capricious irritation.