Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

pettifogger


pet·ti·fog·ger

noun \ˈpe-tē-ˌf-gər, -ˌfä-\

Definition of PETTIFOGGER

1
: a lawyer whose methods are petty, underhanded, or disreputable : shyster
2
: one given to quibbling over trifles
pet·ti·fog·ging \-giŋ\ adjective or noun
pet·ti·fog·gery \-g(ə-)rē\ noun

Origin of PETTIFOGGER

probably from petty + obsolete English fogger pettifogger
First Known Use: 1576

Rhymes with PETTIFOGGER

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: petting zoo
Previous Word in the Dictionary: pettifog
All Words Near: pettifogger

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up pettifogger? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).