The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Petulance \Pet"u*lance\, Petulancy \Pet"u*lan*cy\, n. [L.
   petulania: cf. F. p['e]tulance. See Petulant.]
   The quality or state of being petulant; temporary
   peevishness; pettishness; capricious ill humor. "The
   petulancy of our words." --B. Jonson.
   [1913 Webster]

         Like pride in some, and like petulance in others.
                                                  --Clarendon.
   [1913 Webster]

         The lowering eye, the petulance, the frown. --Cowper.
   [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Petulance, Peevishness. -- Peevishness implies the
        permanence of a sour, fretful temper; petulance implies
        temporary or capricious irritation.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

petulance
    n 1: an irritable petulant feeling [syn: irritability,
         crossness, fretfulness, fussiness, peevishness,
         petulance, choler]