Definition of "tiff"

There’s Tom, now, since this tiff with Mrs. Cat, the scoundrel plays the Grand Turk here!

1840, William Makepeace Thackeray, Catherine: A Story

Something to laugh off, not make a big issue out of. We’d had a little tiff and would have forgotten about it in a couple of days.

1997, Haruki Murakami, translated by Jay Rubin, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; republished New York: Vintage Books, 1998, page 30

At the other extreme, couples who are married with children have heavily disguised tiffs. A man saying in a slightly strained way, 'I'm going to turn the compost', is actually saying, 'And that's all you are, Jean, compost!' Of course, what happens is eventually he apologises, they cry, make love, have another child, get overtired and the tiffing continues.

2000 September 30, Guy Browning, “How to... have a tiff”, in The Guardian‎

“Good wife,” said Skriegh, gathering up his mouth, and sipping his tiff of brandy punch with great solemnity […]

1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], chapter XI, in Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], page 174

She tiff'd at Tim, she ran from Ralph.

1846, Walter Savage Landor, untitled

Is the Miss under a force when she culls among her trinkets with curious toil to tiff herself out in the most engaging manner

1768-1777, Abraham Tucker, The Light of Nature Pursued

Besides that one to which the permanent residence was attached, Mr. Augustus had several outlaying factories, which he visited from time to time, to superintend the manufacture of his indigo; at all of these he had little bungalows, or temporary abodes, where we tiffed and passed the heat of the day.

1841, The Asiatic journal and monthly register