bicker

Meanings

Verb

• To quarrel in a tiresome, insulting manner.
• To brawl or move tremulously, quiver, shimmer (of a water stream, light, flame, etc.)
• (of rain) To patter.
• To skirmish; to exchange blows; to fight.

Noun

• A skirmish; an encounter.
• A fight with stones between two parties of boys.
• A wrangle; also, a noise, as in angry contention.
• The process by which selective eating clubs at Princeton University choose new members.
• A wooden drinking-cup or other dish.

Related

Similar words

• wrangle

Origin

• From Middle English bikeren, from Middle Dutch bicken -er, from Proto-Germanic *bikjaną (compare Old English becca, Dutch bikken, German picken, Old Norse bikkja), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-. Compare also German Low German bickern.
• From Scots bicker, from Middle English biker. beaker.