name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
bicker
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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General-American: /ˈbɪkɚ/
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UK: /ˈbɪkə/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɪkə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: B IH1 K ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A skirmish; an encounter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A fight with stones between two parties of boys.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Scotland, countable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A wrangle; also, a noise, as in angry contention.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
The process by which selective eating clubs at Princeton University choose new members.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A wooden drinking-cup or other dish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Scotland
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To quarrel in a tiresome, insulting manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- They bickered about dinner every evening.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To brawl or move tremulously, quiver, shimmer (of a water stream, light, flame, etc.)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 9
To patter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 10
To skirmish; to exchange blows; to fight.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
a quarrel about petty points
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bickering, spat, tiff, squabble, pettifoggery, fuss
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: quarrel, wrangle, row, words, run-in, dustup
verb
Meaning 12
argue over petty things
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- Let's not quibble over pennies
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: quibble, niggle, pettifog, squabble, brabble
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: argue, contend, debate, fence
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bheg-der. Proto-Germanic *bikjaną Proto-West Germanic *bikkjan Old Dutch *bikken Middle Dutch bickenbor. Proto-Germanic *-urōną Proto-West Germanic *-urōn Old English -erian Middle English -eren Middle English bikeren English bicker From Middle English bikeren (“to attack”), from Middle Dutch bicken (“to stab, thrust, attack”) + -er (frequentative suffix), from Old Dutch *bikken, from Proto-West Germanic *bikkjan, from Proto-Germanic *bikjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bheg- (“to smash, break”). See also Old English becca (“pickax”), Dutch bikken (“to hack”), German picken (“to peck, pick at”), Old Norse bikkja (“to plunge into water”); compare also German Low German bickern (“to nibble, gnaw”).
From Scots bicker, from Middle English biker. Doublet of beaker.
Across languages
Translations
40 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Chinese Mandarin: 衝突 /冲突 (chōngtū) — skirmish
- Finnish: kiista — skirmish
- Finnish: nahistelu — skirmish
- Finnish: kina — skirmish
- Italian: bisticcio — skirmish
- Italian: lite — skirmish
- Russian: стычка (styčka) — skirmish
- Bulgarian: дърля се (dǎrlja se) — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Bulgarian: карам се (karam se) — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Catalan: lluitar verbalment — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Chinese Mandarin: 鬥嘴 /斗嘴 (dòuzuǐ) — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Danish: skændes — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Danish: mundhugges — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Dutch: kibbelen — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Finnish: kiistellä — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Finnish: nahistella — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Finnish: kinastella — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- German: sich zanken — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Hungarian: veszekedik — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Icelandic: þrasa — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Icelandic: karpa — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Italian: bisticciare — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Italian: litigare — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Japanese: 喧嘩する (kenkasuru) — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Latin: iūrgō — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Māori: komekome — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Māori: tarahae — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Māori: korokīkī — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Marshallese: akwāāl — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Polish: sprzeczać się — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Polish: posprzeczać się — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Portuguese: rixar — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Russian: переру́гиваться (pererúgivatʹsja) — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Russian: препира́ться (prepirátʹsja) — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Spanish: discutir — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Swedish: gnabbas — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Swedish: kivas — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Swedish: munhuggas — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Swedish: käbbla — quarrel in a tiresome manner
- Welsh: ymgecru — quarrel in a tiresome manner