1540s, from Middle French caviller "to mock, jest," from Latin cavillari "to jeer, mock; satirize, argue scoffingly" (also source of Italian cavillare, Spanish cavilar), from cavilla "jest, jeering," related to calumnia (see calumny).
中文解释
cavil：cavity ill。从小洞里面找错误，鸡蛋里面挑骨头——挑毛病，吹毛求疵。
实用例句
1. Let us not cavil too much.
我们就别太挑剔了。
来自柯林斯例句
2. A carper will cavil at anything.
爱挑剔的人对什么都挑剔.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. Even he could find nothing to cavil about.
连他都挑不出什么毛病来.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
4. I don't think this is the time to cavil at the wording of the report.
我觉得现在还不是对报告的措辞较真的时候。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Most practitioners reject the idea of a " new science " and cavil even at the word futurology.