Quibble definition
A trivial matter or minor concern raised in arguing or finding fault.
noun
To argue or find fault over trivial matters or minor concerns; cavil.
verb
(archaic) A pun.
noun
Quibble is defined as a petty, irrelevant or evasive argument.
An example of a quibble is comparing a serious political issue to a minor daily life issue.
noun
To quibble is defined as to use petty, trivial expressions or arguments when discussing an issue.
An example of to quibble is to provide excuses instead of saying the truth.
verb
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(obs.) A play on words; pun.
noun
An evasion of the main point as by emphasizing some petty detail; cavil.
noun
A petty objection or criticism.
noun
To evade the truth of a point under discussion by caviling; resort to a quibble.
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
quibble
Plural:
quibblesOrigin of quibble
- Probably diminutive of obsolete quib equivocation perhaps from Latin quibus dative and ablative pl. of quī who, what (from its frequent use in legal documents) kwo- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From a diminutive of Latin quibus, which appeared frequently in legal documents.
From Wiktionary