Hypertext Webster Gateway: "carping"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Carp \Carp\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Carped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Carping}.] [OE. carpen to say, speak; from Scand. (cf. Icel.
karpa to boast), but influenced later by L. carpere to pluck,
calumniate.]
1. To talk; to speak; to prattle. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
2. To find fault; to cavil; to censure words or actions
without reason or ill-naturedly; -- usually followed by
at.
Carping and caviling at faults of manner. --Blackw.
Mag.
And at my actions carp or catch. --Herbert.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Carping \Carp"ing\ (k[add]rp"[i^]ng), a.
Fault-finding; censorious caviling. See {Captious}. --
{Carp"ing*ly}, adv.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
carping
adj : quibbling over insignificant details; "caviling pettifoggers
and quiggling pleaders"-Edmund Burke; "her nagging and
carping attack"; "thought her editor unnecessarily
nitpicking"; "a pettifogging lawyer's mind"; "had no
patience with quibbling critics" [syn: {caviling}, {nitpicking},
{pettifogging}, {quibbling}]
n : persistent petty and unjustified criticism [syn: {faultfinding}]
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