Definition of "cavil"

'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love.

c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene i]

Stranleigh found no difficulty in getting a cavalcade together at Bleacher’s station, an amazingly long distance west of New York. A man finds little trouble in obtaining what he wants, if he never cavils at the price asked, and is willing to pay in advance.

1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad‎

I wish you wouldn't cavil, Hilda.

1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 16, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, [Florence, Italy: […] Tipografia Giuntina, […]]; republished as Lady Chatterley’s Lover (eBook no. 0100181h.html)‎, Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, August 2011, archived from the original on 11 November 2020

But their first supporting quotation, which is from The Selfish Gene, includes selfish genes that do have phenotypic effects. Far it be from me, however, to cavil at the honour of being quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary!

1976, Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016, page 368

It is not worth while to spend your time in arguing against a cavil, but make him feel he is committing a sin to plead it, and thus enlist his conscience on your side.

1835, Charles G. Finney, Lectures on revivals of religion