The Collaborative International Dictionary
Cavil \Cav"il\ (k[a^]v"[i^]l), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Caviled or Cavilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Caviling or Cavilling.] [L. cavillari to practice jesting, to censure, fr. cavilla bantering jests, sophistry: cf. OF. caviller.] To raise captious and frivolous objections; to find fault without good reason.
You do not well in obstinacy
To cavil in the course of this contract.
--Shak.
Caviling \Cav"il*ing\, a. Disposed to cavil; finding fault without good reason. See Captious.
His depreciatory and caviling criticism.
--Lewis.
Wiktionary
n. cavilation vb. (present participle of cavil English)
WordNet
adj. quibbling over insignificant details; "caviling pettifoggers and quiggling pleaders"-Edmund Burke; "her nagging and carping attack"; "thought her editor unnecessarily nitpicking"; "a pettifogging lawyer's mind"; "had no patience with quibbling critics" [syn: carping, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling]
Usage examples of "caviling".
My word, which is the word of a commissioned officer of the United States Army, or your word, which is the caviling whine of a secessionist bitch?