Other forms: quibbles
A quibble is a petty objection about something trivial. A minor quibble, my only quibble, quibble over the wording.
It concedes that the main point stands, which is what the word is for: raising a quibble is a way of agreeing while complaining. It works as a verb and takes over or about. Calling an objection a quibble is a way of dismissing it.
1nounquibbleA petty objection about something trivial.
“My only quibble with the hotel was that breakfast finished too early.”
quibble is an objection.
Of uncertain origin, possibly from Latin quibus, a word that appeared constantly in legal documents.
Latin
quibus — in what respect? how?
English, today
quibble
Origin unknown. Possibly from quib + -le. Quib is probably from Latin quibus (“in what respect? how?”), which appeared frequently in legal documents and came to be suggestive of the verbosity and petty argumentation found therein; or perhaps an alteration of quip. Alternatively, perhaps related to dialectal Dutch kwebbelen (“to speak quickly and continuously, chatter”). Compare also Scots wheebele (“a quibble”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA