Associations to the word «Cavilling»

Wiktionary

CAVIL, verb. (intransitive) To criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.
CAVIL, noun. A petty or trivial objection or criticism.

Dictionary definition

CAVIL, noun. An evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections.
CAVIL, verb. Raise trivial objections.

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats