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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

cav·il

Audio Help [kav-uh

l] 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

]

—Related forms

cav·il·er; especially British, cav·il·ler, noun

cav·il·ing·ly; especially British, cav·il·ling·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 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

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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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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).

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

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 - Cite This Source - Share This

Cavil

Cav"il\, v. t. To cavil at. [Obs.] --Milton.

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.

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