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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
cav·il    Audio Help   [kav-uhl] Pronunciation Key verb, -iled, -il·ing or (especially British) -illed, -il·ling, noun
–verb (used without object)
1.to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually fol. by at or about): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.
–verb (used with object)
2.to oppose by inconsequential, frivolous, or sham objections: to cavil each item of a proposed agenda.
–noun
3.a trivial and annoying objection.
4.the raising of such objections.

[Origin: 1540–50; < L cavillārī to jeer, scoff, quibble, v. deriv. of cavilla jesting, banter]

cav·il·er; especially British, cav·il·ler, noun
cav·il·ing·ly; especially British, cav·il·ling·ly, adverb

1. carp, complain, criticize.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
cavil

To learn more about cavil visit Britannica.com

© 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
cav·il    Audio Help   (kāv'əl)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   cav·iled also cav·illed, cav·il·ing also cav·il·ling, cav·ils also cav·ils

v.   intr.
To find fault unnecessarily; raise trivial objections. See Synonyms at quibble.

v.   tr.
To quibble about; detect 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.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
cavil 
1548, from M.Fr. caviller "to mock, jest," from L. cavillari "to satirize, argue scoffingly," from cavilla "jeering," related to calumnia (see calumny).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
cavil

noun
1. an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections [syn: quibble

verb
1. raise trivial objections 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.

You do not well in obstinacy To cavil in the course of this contract. --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Cavil

Cav"il\, v. t. To cavil at. [Obs.] --Milton.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Cavil

Cav"il\, n. A captious or frivolous objection.

All the cavils of prejudice and unbelief. --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Dictionary.com Word of the Day Archive - Cite This Source - Share This

cavil

cavil was Word of the Day on December 7, 1999.

Dictionary.com Word of the Day
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