Pĕt'ū-lant, a.
a. [Lat. petulans, petulantis, from the obsolete petulare, from petere, to fall upon, hence as if falling upon or assailing in jest; Fr. pétulant, It. & Sp. petulante.]
Sense 1. Pert; saucy; forward. [Obs.] Thou mighty gulf, insatiate cormorant, Deride me not, though I seem petulant To fall into thy chops. Marston.
Sense 2. Peevish; fretful; inclined to complain. His enemies . . . said that he consulted his personal safety even in his most petulant moods. Macaulay.
Sense 3. Wanton; freakish.
Synonyms—Captious; cavilling; irritable; ill-humored; peevish; cross; fretful. See CAPTIOUS.