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cavil

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Cavil means to disapprove for minor reasons.

(verb)

An example of cavil is a mother rejecting her son's date because she doesn't like her shoes.

The definition of a cavil is a silly or petty objection.

(noun)

An example of a cavil is little girl's rejection of a Barbie doll because of the color of the clothes.

See cavil in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb caviled or cavilled, caviling or cavilling

to object when there is little reason to do so; resort to trivial faultfinding; carp; quibble (at or about)

Origin: OFr caviller < L cavillari < cavilla, jeering < *calvilla < calvari, to deceive; akin to calumnia, calumny

noun

a trivial objection; quibble

Related Forms:

caviler noun or caviller

See cavil in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb cav·iled also cav·illed, cav·il·ing also cav·il·ling, cav·ils also cav·ils

verb, intransitive

To find fault unnecessarily; raise trivial objections. See Synonyms at quibble.

verb, transitive

To quibble about; detect petty flaws in.

noun

A carping or trivial objection.

Origin:

Origin: French caviller

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin cavillārī, to jeer

Origin: , from cavilla, a jeering

Related Forms:

cavˈil·er noun

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