noun
squabble
SKWO-buhl
noun
1
A minor, petty argument.
"The siblings had a squabble over who got the last slice of pizza."
verb
1
To argue over something trivial.
"The two neighbors squabbled over the property line for years."
"They squabbled about whose turn it was to do the dishes."
How to Use Squabble
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small, petty argument, or to argue over something minor.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
petty squabble
squabble over
family squabble
Word Forms
squabbled past tense, squabbles plural, squabbles singular
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The siblings had a _____ over who got the last slice of pizza.
Etymology
First recorded around 1600, likely of Scandinavian origin and imitative in nature — related to Swedish and Norwegian dialect words meaning to chatter or prattle.