quibble
Meanings
Plural: quibbles
Noun
- an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections
- An argument or objection based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint.
- A pun.
Verb
- evade the truth of a point or question by raising irrelevant objections
- argue over petty things
- "Let's not quibble over pennies"
- To complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner.
- To contest, especially some trivial issue in a petty manner.
Origin / Etymology
Origin uncertain. Possibly from quib (“quibble”, noun) + -le (diminutive ending). Quib is probably from Latin quibus (“in what respect? how?”), which appeared frequently in legal documents and came to be suggestive of the verbosity and petty argumentation found therein; or perhaps an alteration of quip. Alternatively, perhaps related to dialectal Dutch kwebbelen (“to speak quickly and continuously, chatter”). Compare also Scots wheebele (“a quibble”).
Synonyms
altercation, argument, argy-bargy, barney, bawl out, bicker, blue, bobbery, brabble, brawl, cavil, clash, conflict, controversy, debate, difference, ding-dong, disagreement, discordance, disharmony, disputation, dispute, dissonance, disunion, dustup, face-off, falling out, feud, fight, flite, hassle, niggle, pettifog, quarrel, quibble, quiddity, row, spat, squabble, tangle, threap, tiff, wrangle
Scrabble Score: 20
quibble is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordquibble is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
quibble is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary