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quibble

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Quibble is defined as a petty, irrelevant or evasive argument.

(noun)

An example of a quibble is comparing a serious political issue to a minor daily life issue.

To quibble is defined as to use petty, trivial expressions or arguments when discussing an issue.

(verb)

An example of to quibble is to provide excuses instead of saying the truth.

See quibble in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

Obsolete a play on words; pun
an evasion of the main point as by emphasizing some petty detail; cavil
a petty objection or criticism

Origin: dim. < obs. quib < L quibus, abl. pl. of qui, which, who: quibus was common in legal documents

intransitive verb quibbled, quibbling

to evade the truth of a point under discussion by caviling; resort to a quibble

Related Forms:

quibbler noun

See quibble in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intransitive verb quib·bled, quib·bling, quib·bles

To evade the truth or importance of an issue by raising trivial distinctions and objections.
To find fault or criticize for petty reasons; cavil.

noun

A petty distinction or an irrelevant objection.
Archaic A pun.

Origin:

Origin: Probably diminutive of obsolete quib, equivocation

Origin: , perhaps from Latin quibus

Origin: , dative and ablative pl. of quī, who, what (from its frequent use in legal documents); see k^wo- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

quibˈbler noun

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