See also: cavìl

English [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ]

( 17th–18th centuries; verb senses only ) : cavel cavell

Etymology [ edit ]

From Old French caviller (“mock, jest, rail”), from Latin cavillor (“jeer, mock, satirise, reason captiously”), from cavilla (“jeering, raillery, scoffing”); cognate with Italian cavillare, Portuguese cavillar, and Spanish cavilar; nominal usage developed within English from the original verbal usage.[1]

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Verb [ edit ]

cavil (third-person singular simple present cavils, present participle (UK) cavilling or (US) caviling, simple past and past participle (UK) cavilled or (US) caviled)

( intransitive ) To criticise for petty or frivolous reasons. be hypercritical nitpick pettifog split hairs 1598? , William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona , Act I, scene I: 'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love.

, William Shakespeare, , Act I, scene I: 1913 , Lord Stranleigh Abroad ‎ [1] : Robert Barr , chapter 5, in Stranleigh found no difficulty in getting a cavalcade together at Bleacher’s station, an amazingly long distance west of New York. A man finds little trouble in obtaining what he wants, if he never cavils at the price asked, and is willing to pay in advance.

1928 , D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover : I wish you wouldn't cavil , Hilda.

1976, Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene , Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016, page 368: , Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016, page 368: But their first supporting quotation, which is from The Selfish Gene, includes selfish genes that do have phenotypic effects. Far it be from me, however, to cavil at the honour of being quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary!

Translations [ edit ]

Noun [ edit ]

cavil (plural cavils)

A petty or trivial objection or criticism. 1835, Charles G. Finney, Lectures on revivals of religion : It is not worth while to spend your time in arguing against a cavil, but make him feel he is committing a sin to plead it, and thus enlist his conscience on your side.

Translations [ edit ]

petty or trivial objection or criticism Armenian: բծախնդրություն (hy) ( bcaxndrutʿyun )

Bulgarian: заяждане (bg) n ( zajaždane )

Finnish: nipotus (fi) Portuguese: chicana (pt) f , sofisma (pt) m

, Russian: приди́рка (ru) f ( pridírka )

References [ edit ]