cavil
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cav·il
(kăv′əl)v. cav·iled, cav·il·ing, cav·ils also cav·illed or cav·il·ling
v.intr.
To argue or find fault over trivial matters; raise petty objections. See Synonyms at quibble.
v.tr.
To quibble about; point out petty flaws in.
n.
A carping or trivial objection.
[French caviller, from Old French, from Latin cavillārī, to jeer, from cavilla, a jeering.]
cav′il·er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cavil
(ˈkævɪl)vb, -ils, -illing or -illed, -ils, -iling or -iled
(intr; foll by at or about) to raise annoying petty objections; quibble; carp
n
a captious trifling objection
[C16: from Old French caviller, from Latin cavillārī to jeer, from cavilla raillery]
ˈcaviller, ˈcaviler n
ˈcavilling adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cav•il
(ˈkæv əl)v. -iled, -il•ing (esp. Brit.) -illed, -il•ling, v.i.
1. to raise trivial and unnecessary objections (usu. fol. by at or about).
v.t. 2. to oppose by trivial or frivolous objections.
n. 3. a trivial and annoying objection.
4. the raising of such objections.
[1540–50; < Latin cavillārī to scoff, quibble]
cav′il•er; esp. Brit., cav′il•ler, n.
cav′il•ing•ly; esp. Brit., cav′il•ling•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
cavil
Past participle: cavilled
Gerund: cavilling
| Imperative |
|---|
| cavil |
| cavil |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | cavil - an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections equivocation, evasion - a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth |
| Verb | 1. | cavil - raise trivial objections object - express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express dissent; "She never objected to the amount of work her boss charged her with"; "When asked to drive the truck, she objected that she did not have a driver's license" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
cavil
verb find fault, object, complain, beef (slang), carp, quibble, kvetch (U.S. slang) This is not the time to cavil about petty details.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
cavil
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
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