Added 9 October 2026
cavil
/ˈkæv.əl/ noun
Latin root: cavillor Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cavil at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- An evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections.
verb
Origin
From Old French caviller (“mock, jest, rail”), from Latin cavillor (“jeer, mock, satirise, reason captiously”), from cavilla (“jeering, raillery, scoffing”); cognate with Italian cavillare, Portuguese cavillar, and Spanish cavilar; nominal usage developed within English from the original verbal usage.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)