cavil
verb /ˈkævl/
/ˈkævl/
[intransitive] (formal)动词形式
| present simple I / you / we / they cavil | /ˈkævl/ /ˈkævl/ |
| he / she / it cavils | /ˈkævlz/ /ˈkævlz/ |
| past simple cavilled | /ˈkævld/ /ˈkævld/ |
| past participle cavilled | /ˈkævld/ /ˈkævld/ |
| (US English) past simple caviled | /ˈkævld/ /ˈkævld/ |
| (US English) past participle caviled | /ˈkævld/ /ˈkævld/ |
| -ing form cavilling | /ˈkævlɪŋ/ /ˈkævlɪŋ/ |
| (US English) -ing form caviling | /ˈkævlɪŋ/ /ˈkævlɪŋ/ |
- cavil (at something) to make unnecessary complaints about something
无端抱怨；挑剔；吹毛求疵 - Several countries cavilled at the cost of the project.
几个国家对该项目的成本吹毛求疵。
词源mid 16th cent.: from French caviller, from Latin cavillari, from cavilla ‘mockery’. - Several countries cavilled at the cost of the project.