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tiff

[tif]
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noun
  1. a slight or petty quarrel.
  2. a slight fit of annoyance, bad mood, or the like.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to have a petty quarrel.
  2. to be in a tiff.
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Origin of tiff

First recorded in 1720–30; origin uncertain

Synonyms

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1. spat, scrap, misunderstanding, difference.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

bickerdisagreewranglequibblequarrelsquabbletanglesparprotectclashchallengeresistattackbattlemeettiffstingpiquerilesnit
British Dictionary definitions for tiffing

tiff1

noun
  1. a petty quarrel
  2. a fit of ill humour
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verb
  1. (intr) to have or be in a tiff
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Word Origin

C18: of unknown origin

tiff2

noun
  1. archaic a small draught of alcoholic drink; dram
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Word Origin

C18: see tiffin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tiffing

tiff

n.

1727, "outburst of temper," later "small quarrel" (1754), of uncertain origin; OED suggests imitative, "from the sound of a slight puff of air or gas."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper