intransitive verb stickled -·led, stickling -·ling

1. to raise objections, haggle, or make difficulties, esp. in a stubborn, narrow manner and usually about trifles
2. to have objections; scruple (at)

Etymology: prob. < ME stightlen, to rule, order, dispose, freq. of stighten, to dispose, destine < OE stihtan, prob. akin to Ger stiften, to arrange, establish: for prob. IE base see stiff