Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A small sin or fault.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A slight trespass or offense; a petty crime or fault.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A slight trespass or offense; a petty crime; a trifling fault.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small flaw or sin.
  • noun A petty offense.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a petty misdeed

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Spanish pecadillo, diminutive of pecado, sin, and Italian peccadiglio, diminutive of peccato, sin, both from Latin peccātum, from neuter of peccātus, past participle of peccāre, to sin; see ped- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Spanish pecadillo, diminutive form of pecado ("sin"), from Latin peccatum ("sin, error, fault"), from peccō ("I sin, offend").

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Examples

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  • "Rain, exposure at dewfall on the sea rocks, a peccadillo at my time of life." Joyce, Ulysses, 15

    January 1, 2008