cavil
[ kav-uhl ]
/ ˈkæv əl /
verb (used without object), cav·iled, cav·il·ing or (especially British) cav·illed, cav·il·ling.
to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.
verb (used with object), cav·iled, cav·il·ing or (especially British) cav·illed, cav·il·ling.
to oppose by inconsequential, frivolous, or sham objections: to cavil each item of a proposed agenda.
noun
a trivial and annoying objection.
the raising of such objections.
Origin of cavil
1540–50; < Latin
cavillārī to jeer, scoff, quibble, verbal derivative of
cavilla jesting, banter
OTHER WORDS FROM cavil
Words nearby cavil
Example sentences from the Web for caviller
British Dictionary definitions for caviller
cavil
/ (ˈkævɪl) /
verb -ils, -illing or -illed or US -ils, -iling or -iled
(intr; foll by at or about)
to raise annoying petty objections; quibble; carp
noun
a captious trifling objection
Derived forms of cavil
caviller, noun cavilling, adjectiveWord Origin for cavil
C16: from Old French
caviller, from Latin
cavillārī to jeer, from
cavilla raillery