bicker

¹

[bik-er]

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in petulant or peevish argument; wrangle.

   The two were always bickering.

   Synonyms: spat, disagreement, argument, spat, spar, dispute, haggle, quarrel, argue, squabble, disagree

2. Literary.,  to rush or make a rushing sound, as water.

   We first heard and then saw the stream bickering down the valley.

3. to flicker; glitter.

   The sun bickered through the trees.

noun

1. an angry, petty dispute or quarrel; altercation.

bicker

²

[bik-er]

noun

Scot.

1. any wooden dish or bowl, especially a wooden porridge bowl.

2. Obsolete.,  a wooden drinking cup.

bicker

/ ˈbɪkə /

verb

1. to argue over petty matters; squabble

2. poetic

   1. (esp of a stream) to run quickly

   2. to flicker; glitter

noun

1. a petty squabble

Other Word Forms

• bickerer noun
• unbickered adjective
• bickering noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bicker¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bikeren; origin unknown

Origin of bicker²

1300–50; Middle English biker beaker

Word History and Origins

Origin of bicker¹

C13: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Levin objected, and their tiff is growing increasingly heated as they bicker online.

Read more on Salon

My grandmother and her sister bickered over everything their whole lives, so I think their mother knew better than to leave it to them to decide things.

Read more on MarketWatch

YouTube and Disney spent weeks bickering over distribution fees.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Yellowstone” debuted in 2018, smack in the middle of a presidential administration that forced us to question and bicker over the meaning of American identity.

Read more on Salon

Amid partisan bickering over the government shutdown, Senate Republicans are still doing some useful work that could help Americans and the U.S. economy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• disagree 
• quarrel 
• quibble 
• spar 
• squabble 
• wrangle