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Bicker vs Expostulate - What's the difference?

bicker | expostulate |

As verbs the difference between bicker and expostulate

is that bicker is to quarrel in a tiresome, insulting manner while expostulate is to protest or remonstrate; to reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of conduct.

As a noun bicker

is a skirmish; an encounter or bicker can be a small wooden vessel made of staves and hoops, like a tub.

bicker

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) bikeren ‘to attack’, from (etyl) bicken ‘to stab, attack’ (modern bikken ‘to hack’), from (etyl) ‘to smash, break’.

Verb

(en verb)
  • To quarrel in a tiresome, insulting manner.
    • They bickered about dinner every evening.
  • * Barrow
    • petty things about which men cark and bicker
  • To move tremulously, quiver, shimmer (of a water stream, of a flame)
  • *XIX cent,
    • I come from haunts of coot and hern, / I make a sudden sally, / And sparkle out among the fern, / To bicker down a valley.
  • * Thomson
    • They [streamlets] bickered through the sunny shade.
  • To skirmish; to exchange blows; to fight.
  • * Holland
    • Two eagles had a conflict, and bickered together.
    Derived terms
    *bickerer
    Synonyms
    * wrangle * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A skirmish; an encounter.
  • (Scotland, obsolete) A fight with stones between two parties of boys.
    • (Jamieson)
  • A wrangle; also, a noise, as in angry contention.

    • Etymology 2

    See beaker.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small wooden vessel made of staves and hoops, like a tub.
    • (Webster 1913)

    External links

    * *

    expostulate

    English

    Verb

    (expostulat)
  • To protest or remonstrate; to reason earnestly with a person on some impropriety of conduct.
  • * Jowett
    • Men expostulate with erring friends; they bring accusations against enemies who have done them a wrong.
  • * 1719,
    • The tears would run plentifully down my face when I made these reflections; and sometimes I would expostulate with myself why Providence should thus completely ruin His creatures, and render them so absolutely miserable; so without help, abandoned, so entirely depressed, that it could hardly be rational to be thankful for such a life.
  • * 1843 , '', book 2, ch. XI, ''The Abbot’s Ways
    • […] he affectionately loved many persons to whom he never or hardly ever shewed a countenance of love. Once on my venturing to expostulate with him on the subject, he reminded me of Solomon: “Many sons I have; it is not fit that I should smile on them.”

    Synonyms

    * challenge * demur * except * inveigh * kick * object * protest * remonstrate * squawk ----