bicker

bicker
    n 1: a quarrel about petty points [syn: {bicker}, {bickering},
         {spat}, {tiff}, {squabble}, {pettifoggery}, {fuss}]
    v 1: argue over petty things; "Let's not quibble over pennies"
         [syn: {quibble}, {niggle}, {pettifog}, {bicker},
         {squabble}, {brabble}]
    

Bicker \Bick"er\, n. [See {Beaker}.]
   A small wooden vessel made of staves and hoops, like a tub.
   [Prov. Eng.]
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Bicker \Bick"er\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Bickered}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Bickering}.] [OE. bikeren, perh. fr. Celtic; cf. W. bicra
   to fight, bicker, bicre conflict, skirmish; perh. akin to E.
   beak.]
   1. To skirmish; to exchange blows; to fight. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Two eagles had a conflict, and bickered together.
                                                  --Holland.
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   2. To contend in petulant altercation; to wrangle.
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            Petty things about which men cark and bicker.
                                                  --Barrow.
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   3. To move quickly and unsteadily, or with a pattering noise;
      to quiver; to be tremulous, like flame.
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            They [streamlets] bickered through the sunny shade.
                                                  --Thomson.
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Bicker \Bick"er\, n.
   1. A skirmish; an encounter. [Obs.]
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   2. A fight with stones between two parties of boys. [Scot.]
      --Jamieson.
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   3. A wrangle; also, a noise,, as in angry contention.
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105 Moby Thesaurus words for "bicker":
      altercate, argue, argufy, around the bush, bandy words, battle,
      beat, beat about, beg the question, bicker over, boggle, brawl,
      broil, caterwaul, cavil, choplogic, clack, clatter, clitter,
      contend, contend about, contest, cross swords, cut and thrust,
      dance, differ, discept, dispute, dodge, equivocate, evade,
      evade the issue, fall out, fence, feud, fight, fight over, flap,
      flick, flicker, flip, flit, flite, flitter, flop, flutter,
      give and take, go pitapat, gutter, hassle, have it out, have words,
      hedge, join issue, lock horns, logomachize, moot, mystify, nitpick,
      obscure, palpitate, palter, parry, pettifog, pick nits,
      pitter-patter, play, plead, polemicize, polemize, prevaricate,
      pulse, pussyfoot, quarrel, quarrel over, quibble, quiver, row,
      scrap, set to, shatter, shift, shuffle, shy, sidestep, slat, spar,
      spat, split hairs, splutter, sputter, squabble, squabble over,
      take issue with, take sides, tergiversate, thrash out, throb, tiff,
      try conclusions, war, wave, waver, wrangle, wrangle over