| 释义 |
▪ I. cavil, n.|ˈkævɪl|
[f. the verb.]
1. A captious, quibbling, or frivolous objection.
1570Levins Manip. 124 A cauill, calumnia. 1581J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 336/2, I come now to the other part of your cavill, which is in all respectes as untrue and frivolous. 1596Shakes., Tam. Shr. ii. i. 392 That's but a cauill. 1656Hobbes Six Less. Wks. 1845 VII. 227 The ninth objection is an egregious cavil. 1735Berkeley Free-thinking in Math. §50 Whether there may not be fair objections as well as cavils. 1850Gladstone Glean. V. xliv. 200 To meet this technical cavil on the wording of the Statutes.
2. The raising of frivolous objections; cavilling.
a1600Hooker (J.), Wiser men consider how subject the best things have been unto cavil. 1611Bible Pref. init., If there be any hole left for cauill to enter (and cauill, if it doe not finde a hole, will make one). 1729Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. Pref. 9 The first seems..the least liable to cavil and dispute. 1860Motley Netherl. (1868) I. v. 144 His measures were sure to be the subject of perpetual cavil. 1868Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) II. viii. 183 There was no candidate whose claims were altogether without cavil.
†3. [cf. L. cavilla.] A flout, gibe, jeer. Obs.
1615Chapman Odyss. xxii. 235 Eumæus on his just infliction pass'd This pleasureable cavil.
4. Comb., as cavil-proof adj.
1655Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. viii. §11 James.. granted them a new Corporation Cavill-proof against all exceptions.
▪ II. cavil, v.|ˈkævɪl|
Also 6–7 cavel(l.
[a. OF. cavill-er (14th c. in Godef.) to mock, jest, rail, ‘to cauill, wrangle, reason crossely, speake ouer thwartly’ (Cotgr.), ad. L. cavillāri (whence also It. cavillare, Sp. cavilar, Pg. cavillar), to practise jeering or mocking, satirize, jest, reason captiously, f. cavilla a jeering, scoffing, raillery.]
1. intr. ‘To raise captious and frivolous objections’ (J.); to object, dispute, or find fault unfairly or without good reason. Const. at, about (formerly also against, with, on).
1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Mark ii. 19 b, Wheras ye can not thwarte and cauyll in the thynges you see doen before your iyes. 1564Brief Exam. ***** iij b, Men dyd not cauill agaynst theyr whyte vestures. 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iii. i. 140 But in the way of Bargaine..Ile cauill on the ninth part of a hayre. 1597Morley Introd. Mus. 28 Let no man cauil at my doing in that I have chaunged my opinion. 1635Swan Spec. M. i. §3 (1643) 14 After this manner, such mockers reasoned and cavilled with S. Peter. 1642Rogers Naaman 8 He..who cavelled against the Prophet. 1750Warburton Lett. late Prelate (1809) 61 Without finding anything considerable to cavil with you upon. 1798Malthus Popul. (1878) 88 When the harvest is over they cavil about losses. a1852Webster Wks. (1877) VI. 163 Those who do not value Christianity..cavil about sects and schisms. 1871Rossetti Dante at Ver. liii, To cavil in the weight of bread And to see purse-thieves gibbeted. 1884Sir W. Brett in Law Times Rep. LI. 530/1 The rule exists, and I have not the smallest intention of cavilling at it.
†b. with object-clause. Obs.
1570Billingsley Euclid i. ix. 19 He may cauill that the hed of the equilater triangle shall not fall betwene the two right lines. 1714Gay What d' ye call it Pref., They cavil at it as a Comedy, that I had partly a View to Pastoral.
2. trans. To object to or find fault with captiously.
1581J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 232/2 This were perhappes not altogether from the purpose, that is cavilled. 1621Bp. R. Montagu Diatribæ 422 Nor can you cauill him for leauing out the word. 1667Milton P.L. x. 759 Wilt thou enjoy the good, Then cavil the conditions? 1750Warburton Wks. (1811) VIII. 96 The testimony of Amm. Marcellinus, decisive as it is, hath been cavilled. 1875H. E. Manning Mission H. Ghost ix. 256 There are men whose intellectual pride cavils and perverts..every truth of the revelation of God.
b. with away, out: To do away with, bring out, by cavilling.
1642Milton Apol. Smect. (1851) 294 His seventh section labours to cavill out the flawes which were found in the Remonstrants logick. 1645W. Jenkyn Serm. 28 'Tis this which doth cavill away our peace and holinesse. 1863Lytton Caxtoniana I. 91 Nurse, cherish, never cavil away, the wholesome horror of Debt.
†3. in sense of L. cavillāri. Obs.—0
1570Levins Manip. 126 Cauil, calumniari, cauillari. 1613R. C. Table Alph. (ed. 3), Cauill, to iest, scoffe, or reason subtilly. 1616in Bullokar.
▪ III. cavil
variant of kevel n.2
▪ IV. cavil
var. kevel n.3
1842Gwilt Archit. Gloss. s.v. Nidged Ashlar, It is brought to the square by means of a cavil or hammer with a sharp point.
▪ V. cavil(l
var. of cavel, lot. |