quibble

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Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈkwɪbəl/

Noun

quibble (plural quibbles)

1. (now, rare) A pun. [from 17th c.]
   • 1864, Robert Kemp Philp (editor), The Family Friend (page 54)

     Is it a quibble, or play upon words?

2. An objection or argument based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint. [from 17th c.]

   He harped on his quibble about how the dark red paint should be described as carmine rather than burgundy.

   • I. Watts

     Quibbles have no place in the search after truth.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:dispute

Translations

• French: argutie
• German: kleinliche Kritik, Spitzfindigkeit, Haarspalterei
• Italian: cavillo
• Portuguese: minúcia
• Russian: приди́рка
• Spanish: sutileza, argucia

Verb

quibble (quibbles, present participle quibbling; past and past participle quibbled)

1. (informal, intransitive) To complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner.

   They are constantly quibbling over insignificant details.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:squabble

Translations

• French: chicaner, ergoter, chinoiser, chipoter, pinailler
• German: herumstreiten, kleinlich sein
• Italian: cavillare
• Portuguese: preocupar-se, preocupar-se com minúcias, discutir
• Russian: придира́ться
• Spanish: buscar evasivas, sutilizar, andar con sutilezas

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