Library / English Dictionary

CAVIL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: cavilled    , cavilling   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections

Synonyms:

cavil; quibble; quiddity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("cavil" is a kind of...):

equivocation; evasion (a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth)

Derivation:

cavil (raise trivial objections)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Raise trivial objections

Synonyms:

carp; cavil; chicane

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "cavil" is one way to...):

object (express or raise an objection or protest or criticism or express dissent)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

cavil (an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections)

caviler; caviller (a disputant who quibbles; someone who raises annoying petty objections)

Credits