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quibbling

 - 4 dictionary results

quib⋅bling

  [kwib-ling]
Use quibbling in a Sentence
–adjective
1. characterized by or consisting of quibbles; carping; niggling: quibbling debates.
–noun
2. the act of a person who quibbles.
3. an instance of quibbling: a relationship marked by frequent quibblings.
Origin:
1650–60; quibble + -ing 2 , -ing 1

Related forms:
quib⋅bling⋅ly, adverb

quib⋅ble

  [kwib-uhl] noun, verb, -bled, -bling.
–noun
1. an instance of the use of ambiguous, prevaricating, or irrelevant language or arguments to evade a point at issue.
2. the general use of such arguments.
3. petty or carping criticism; a minor objection.
–verb (used without object)
4. to equivocate.
5. to carp; cavil.
Origin:
1605–15; perh. deriv. (cf. -le ) of quib gibe, appar. akin to quip

Related forms:
quibbler, noun

Synonyms:
1. evasion, equivocation, sophism, shift, ambiguity.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To quibbling
quib·ble   (kwĭb'əl)   
intr.v.   quib·bled, quib·bling, quib·bles

  1. To evade the truth or importance of an issue by raising trivial distinctions and objections.

  2. To find fault or criticize for petty reasons; cavil.

n.  

  1. A petty distinction or an irrelevant objection.

  2. Archaic A pun.


[Probably diminutive of obsolete quib, equivocation, perhaps from Latin quibus, dative and ablative pl. of quī, who, what (from its frequent use in legal documents); see kwo- in Indo-European roots.]
quib'bler n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to raise petty or frivolous objections or complaints: quibbling about minor details; a critic who constantly carped; caviling about the price of coffee; an editor who niggled about commas; tried to stop nitpicking all the time; pettifogging about trivialities.
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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Word Origin & History

quibble 
1611, "a pun, a play on words," probably a dim. of quib "evasion of point at issue" (c.1550), from L. quibus "by what (things)?," dative and ablative plural of quid "what," neut. of quis (see who). The word's overuse in legal jargon supposedly gave it the association with trivial argument. Meaning "equivocation, evasion of the point" is attested from 1670. The verb in this sense is from 1656.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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