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pettifog

 - 2 dictionary results

pet⋅ti⋅fog

  [pet-ee-fog, -fawg]
Use pettifog in a Sentence
–verb (used without object), -fogged, -fog⋅ging.
1. to bicker or quibble over trifles or unimportant matters.
2. to carry on a petty, shifty, or unethical law business.
3. to practice chicanery of any sort.
Origin:
1605–15; back formation from pettifogger, equiv. to petty + fogger < MLG voger or MD voeger one who arranges things; akin to OE gefōg a joining

Related forms:
pet⋅ti⋅fog⋅ger, noun
pet⋅ti⋅fog⋅ger⋅y, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To pettifog
pet·ti·fog   (pět'ē-fŏg', -fôg')   
intr.v.   pet·ti·fogged, pet·ti·fog·ging, pet·ti·fogs
To act like a pettifogger. See Synonyms at quibble.

[Back-formation from pettifogger.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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