<p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.</li><li>to oppose by inconsequential, frivolous, or sham objections: to cavil each item of a proposed agenda.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a trivial and annoying objection.</li><li>the raising of such objections.</li></ul>