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Niggle

//ˈnɪɡəl// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A minor complaint or problem.

    "The Olympic medal contender's back problem has been described as a "niggle" by the head coach, Charles van Commenee, but Porter's friend and former team-mate Danielle Carruthers revealed that the injury is playing on the Briton's mind."

  2. 2
    Small, cramped handwriting. obsolete
Verb
  1. 1
    To trifle with; to deceive; to mock. obsolete, transitive

    "I shall so feed your fierce vexation , And raise your worship ' s storms ; I shall so niggle you , And juggle you , and fiddle you , and firk you"

  2. 2
    argue over petty things wordnet
  3. 3
    To use, spend, or do in a petty or trifling manner. transitive
  4. 4
    worry unnecessarily or excessively wordnet
  5. 5
    To dwell too much on minor points or on trifling details. intransitive
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    To fidget, fiddle, be restless. UK, intransitive
  2. 7
    To walk with short steps. UK, archaic, dialectal, intransitive

    "I can see him now with his one eye closed as he came niggling along, and didn't he just give me a grandfather's blessing!"

Etymology

Etymology 1

First attested in 1599. Origin uncertain, but likely borrowed from dialectal Norwegian nigla (“to be stingy, to busy oneself with trifles”), ultimately from Old Norse hnøggr (“stingy; miserly”), related to Old English hnēaw (“stingy; niggardly”). More at niggard.

Etymology 2

First attested in 1599. Origin uncertain, but likely borrowed from dialectal Norwegian nigla (“to be stingy, to busy oneself with trifles”), ultimately from Old Norse hnøggr (“stingy; miserly”), related to Old English hnēaw (“stingy; niggardly”). More at niggard.

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