PETTIFOG

quibble, niggle, pettifog, bicker, squabble, brabble

(verb) argue over petty things; “Let’s not quibble over pennies”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

pettifog (third-person singular simple present pettifogs, present participle pettifogging, simple past and past participle pettifogged)

To quibble over trivial matters; nitpick.

To do a petty business as a lawyer, or carry out law business in a petty or tricky way.

• S. Butler

Synonyms

• See squabble

Source: Wiktionary


Pet"ti*fog, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pettifogged; p. pr. & vb. n. Pettifogging.] Etym: [Petty + fog to pettifog.]

Definition: To do a petty business as a lawyer; also, to do law business in a petty or tricky way. "He takes no money, but pettifogs gratis." S. Butler.

Pet"ti*fog, v. t.

Definition: To advocate like a pettifogger; to argue trickily; as, to pettifog a claim. [Colloq.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

17 March 2025

PARAMAGNET

(noun) magnet made of a substance whose magnetization is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field applied to it


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