bicker

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“
Among the passions of this literary "bicker," which Scott allowed to amuse him, was Davie Deans conceived.

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Definitions (19)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. intransitive verb To engage in a petty, bad-tempered quarrel; squabble. See Synonyms at argue.
  2. intransitive verb To flicker; quiver: "and bicker like a flame” (Robert Browning).
  3. noun A petty quarrel; a squabble.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (11)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • I shall never forget one bicker, the last indeed which occurred at that time, as the authorities of the town, alarmed by the desperation of its character, stationed forthwith a body of police on the hillside, to prevent, in future, any such breaches of the peace. —  Lavengro
  • As Ukraine's politicians bicker, the economy slides —  ACTION UKRAINE REPORT (Archive)
  • If I wanted to see pseudo-celebrities lose weight, bicker, and do physical challenges, I'd watch VH1's Celebrity Fit Club. —  Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch
  • They fight, bicker, and argue about issues that are relativly unimportant. —  JournalStar.com - News Articles
  • I shall never forget one bicker, the last indeed which occurred at that time, as the authorities of the town, alarmed by the desperation of its character, stationed forthwith a body of police on the hill side to prevent, in future, any such breaches of the peace It was a beautiful Sunday evening, the rays of the descending sun were reflected redly from the grey walls of the castle, and from the black rocks on which it was founded. —  Lavengro The Scholar, the Gypsy, the Priest
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

Used in the same contextWord Family

bicker:   bickering ·  bickered
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English bikeren, to attack.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. Early modern English also becker, from Middle English bicheren, bikkeren, bekeren, bikeren, apparently a freq. in -er; origin unknown. The W. bicra, fight, is apparently from the English
  2. from Middle English biker, beker: see bicker, v.
  3. Var. of beaker, q. v.
 

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/ˈbɪkər/
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