BICKER

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bicker mean? 

• BICKER (noun)
  The noun BICKER has 1 sense:

1. a quarrel about petty points

  Familiarity information: BICKER used as a noun is very rare.

• BICKER (verb)
  The verb BICKER has 1 sense:

1. argue over petty things

  Familiarity information: BICKER used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BICKER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A quarrel about petty points

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

bicker; bickering; fuss; pettifoggery; spat; squabble; tiff

Hypernyms ("bicker" is a kind of...):

dustup; quarrel; row; run-in; words; wrangle (an angry dispute)

Derivation:

bicker (argue over petty things)

• BICKER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they bicker    ... he / she / it bickers   
Past simple: bickered   
Past participle: bickered   
-ing form: bickering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Argue over petty things

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bicker; brabble; niggle; pettifog; quibble; squabble

Context example:

Let's not quibble over pennies

Hypernyms (to "bicker" is one way to...):

argue; contend; debate; fence (have an argument about something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

Sam and Sue bicker
Sam wants to bicker with Sue

Derivation:

bicker (a quarrel about petty points)

 Context examples 

“Not I, in troth,” replied the other; “I have had other things to think of. There was some sort of bickering over dice, or wine, or was it a woman, coz?”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The wolf-dogs, clustered on the far side of the fire, snarled and bickered among themselves, but evinced no inclination to stray off into the darkness.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

There was no grumbling, no bickering, nor petty quarrelling in the little cabin, and they often congratulated one another on the general happiness of the party.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

There was continual bickering and jangling.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

I have also seen some bickering and scuffling.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

With full stomachs, bickering and quarrelling began among the younger males, and this continued through the few days that followed before the breaking-up of the pack.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

They quarrelled and bickered more than ever among themselves, till at times the camp was a howling bedlam.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Alas! it was my ill fate to slay him in a bickering which broke out in a field near the township of Tarbes.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

After the first rush, each time, his snarl kept the three dogs at a distance but they trailed along behind, yelping and bickering and insulting him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

We had sight of two rover galleys, and even came to have some slight bickering with them.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)