stickle

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“
The water runs down with a strong sharp stickle, and then has a sudden elbow in it, where the small brook trickles in; and on that side the bank is steep, four or it may be five feet high, overhanging loamily; but on the other side it is flat, pebbly, and fit to land upon.

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Definitions (17)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. intransitive verb To argue or contend stubbornly, especially about trivial or petty points.
  2. intransitive verb To have or raise objections; scruple.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (11)

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

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • I can vehemently applaud, or perversely stickle, at parts; but I cannot grasp at a whole. —  Figures of Several Centuries
  • There a great rift opened out into a wide amphitheatre, where, shallow and bright with flashing stickle, the stream danced among the stones, to calm down directly after in deep pool after pool, which looked like so many silvery mirrors netted by the rings formed by the rising fish Now, Mr Manners," cried Josh, "what do you say to that? —  Will of the Mill
  • I did not like to stickle, and went. —  The Life of William Ewart Gladstone, Vol. 1 (of 3) 1809-1859
  • Although I may stickle, lustily, with you, in the cause of an aggrieved man, believe me, early habits have taught me to be anxious for the prosperity of the Rochdales Sir Simon. —  John Bull The Englishman's Fireside: A Comedy, in Five Acts
  • The water runs down with a strong sharp stickle, and then has a sudden elbow in it, where the small brook trickles in; and on that side the bank is steep, four or it may be five feet high, overhanging loamily; but on the other side it is flat, pebbly, and fit to land upon. —  Lorna Doone A Romance of Exmoor
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Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Variant of Middle English stightlen, to contend, frequentative of stighten, to arrange, from Old English stihtian, stihtan; see steigh- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. from Middle English *stikel,*stykyl (in comp.), from Anglo-Saxon sticel (also, with different formative, sticels), a prickle, sting, = Middle Dutch stekel, later stickel, Dutch stekel = Low German stikkel (in comp.), also stikke = Old High German stichil, Middle High German stichel, German dial. stickel, a prickle, sting, = Icelandic stikill, the pointed end of a horn, = Norwegian stikel, a prickle (cf. Middle Dutch staekel, Old High German stachulla, stacchulla, stachilla, stachila, Middle High German G. stachel, a thorn, prickle, sting); akin to sticca, etc., a (pointed) stick (see stick), from stecan, pierce, prick, stick: see stick.
  2. Early modern English also stikle; from Middle English stikel, from Anglo-Saxon sticol, sticel, steep, high, inaccessible, from stecan, pierce, prick, stick: see stick.
  3. A modern variant of stightle, which also appears (with a reg. change of the orig. guttural gh to f) as stiffle: see stightle. In defs. II., 2, 3, the sense has been influenced by association with stick.
 

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/ˈstɪkl/
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