captious

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   That captures

   That captures; especially, (of an argument, words etc.) designed to capture or entrap in misleading arguments; sophistical.

   • […]I know I loue in vaine, ſtriue againſt hope : Yet in this captious, and intemible Siue I ſtill poure in the waters of my loue And lacke not to looſe ſtill[…]
   • A captious queſtion, Sir, and your’s is one, Deſerves an anſwer ſimilar, or none.
   • Were you aware that in your discourse last Sunday you attributed the captious Problem of the Sadducees to the Pharisees, as a proof of the obscure and sensual doctrines of the latter?
2. 2

   Having a disposition to find fault unreasonably or to raise petty objections

   Having a disposition to find fault unreasonably or to raise petty objections; cavilling, nitpicky.

   • But Peter Petrovich did not accept this retort. On the contrary, he became all the more captious and irritable, as though he were just hitting his stride.
   • The "Our Bold" column, nitpicking at errors in other periodicals, can look merely captious, and its critics often seem to be wildly and collectively wrong-headed.

The neighborhood

• neighborcaption
• neighborcapture