Cavilling

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cavil \Cav"il\ (k[a^]v"[i^]l), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Caviled} or
     {Cavilled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Caviling} or {Cavilling}.] [L.
     cavillari to practice jesting, to censure, fr. cavilla
     bantering jests, sophistry: cf. OF. caviller.]
     To raise captious and frivolous objections; to find fault
     without good reason.


     [1913 Webster]
  
           You do not well in obstinacy
           To cavil in the course of this contract. --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  cavilling
       See {cavil}

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  cavil
       n : an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant
           distinctions or objections [syn: {quibble}, {quiddity}]
       v : raise trivial objections [syn: {carp}, {chicane}]
       [also: {cavilling}, {cavilled}]