Added 9 October 2026
quibble
/ˈkwɪbəl/ noun
In Latin: cavillari Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about quibble at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- An evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections.
verb
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)