cavil
[ kav-uhl ]
/ ˈkæv əl /
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verb (used without object), cav·iled, cav·il·ing or (especially British) cav·illed, cav·il·ling.
to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.
verb (used with object), cav·iled, cav·il·ing or (especially British) cav·illed, cav·il·ling.
to oppose by inconsequential, frivolous, or sham objections: to cavil each item of a proposed agenda.
noun
a trivial and annoying objection.
the raising of such objections.
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Origin of cavil
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin cavillārī “to jeer, scoff, quibble,” derivative of cavilla “jesting, banter”
OTHER WORDS FROM cavil
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use cavil in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for cavil
cavil
/ (ˈkævɪl) /
verb -ils, -illing or -illed or US -ils, -iling or -iled
(intr; foll by at or about) to raise annoying petty objections; quibble; carp
noun
a captious trifling objection
Derived forms of cavil
caviller, nouncavilling, adjectiveWord Origin for cavil
C16: from Old French caviller, from Latin cavillārī to jeer, from cavilla raillery
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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