Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One given to hair-splitting or making sophistical distinctions in reasoning.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun One who makes excessively fine or needless distinctions in reasoning; one who quibbles.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A person who makes extremely, possibly excessively,
fine distinctions (who would separate something as fine as a hair into two pieces and distinguish them).
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a disputant who makes unreasonably fine distinctions
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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To call a judge “a formalist and a hairsplitter” was an insult.
Balkinization 2007
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Voting with the pResident 95% of the time instead of 98% of the time does not make one a pony or a middle of the road hairsplitter.
NYT Looks At McCain's Reported Flirtation With Party-Switching 2009
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Adam B (hairsplitter in denial)., with each successive post you reveal yourself to be ever more incapable of the simple act of reading - it's having a big impact upon your ability to reason logically.
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008
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Now, I'm not a hairsplitter but I'd say that is somewhat inconsistent.
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Call me a suburban wimp, or a hairsplitter, but in a day of fine, tasty hot dogs overspilling with chili, mustard and onions, I had my best Coney standing up in a spotless modern meat market surrounded by parking lots full of 18-wheelers and other hauling beasts.
Home for Hot Dogs 2008
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Adam B. [hairsplitter in denial], 'still waiting'?
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008
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But the Texas Republican might be taking a page from that wily Arkansas hairsplitter.
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The issue is a hairsplitter at best and for the Howler to get that snide and nasty over a relatively trivial bit of data in the grand scheme of the Plame investigation, smacks of sour grapes or worse.
Firedoglake » Libby Case Update — A Correction and A New Filing 2006
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But the Texas Republican might be taking a page from that wily Arkansas hairsplitter.
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The man at the sideboard glanced Cable's way when Shike released the safety on his hairsplitter.
The Dragon Never Sleeps Cook, Glen 1988
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