captious etymology

Etymology

The word "captious" is derived from the Latin word "captiō," meaning "to take or seize." The term originally referred to the act of capturing or ensnaring someone, both physically and metaphorically.

Meaning

The modern meaning of "captious" has evolved from its Latin roots. It now refers to a person or attitude that is:

• Prone to finding fault or criticism, especially over trivial matters
• Caviling, nitpicking, or seeking to trap someone in a technicality
• Eager to dispute or argue, often for the sake of being argumentative

Origin

The term "captious" first appeared in English in the early 15th century. It was initially used in a legal context to describe a person who raised frivolous objections or technicalities to avoid liability. Over time, the meaning of the word broadened to include its modern sense of fault-finding and undue criticism.

Examples

• "The teacher was captious about every little mistake we made."
• "The opponent's lawyer was captious in their objections, delaying the trial unnecessarily."
• "The boss had a captious personality, always looking for reasons to criticize employees."

captious relate terms

• conniption

  Etymology Late 18th century from the verb connive meaning to wink at or pretend

• corruption

  Etymology From Latin corruptio corruptus from corrumpere meaning to break destroy

• captious

  Etymology The word captious is derived from the Latin word captiō meaning to take

• accept

  Etymology The word accept comes from the Latin word accipere meaning to take or t

• anticipate

  Etymology Latin anticipare from ante before capere to take Literally meaning

• anticipation

  Etymology The word anticipation comes from the Latin word anticipatio which means

• behave

  Etymology and Origin The word behave originated from the Middle English term behaven

• behoof

  Etymology The word behoof comes from the Middle English word behofe which in turn d

• behoove

  Etymology From Middle English behoven from Old English behōfian to be necessary sui

• cable

  Etymology The word cable derives from the Latin word capulum which means halter

• cacciatore

  Etymology Italian cacciatore Meaning Hunter Origin The word cacciatore ha

• capable

  Etymology The word capable comes from the Old French word capable which in turn come

• capacious

  Etymology Latin capax adjective spacious ample capacious Proto Indo European

• capacity

  Etymology Latin capacitas Late Latin capere to take to hold Meaning The a

• capias

  Etymology Latin capias from capere to take seize Meaning A writ commanding the

• capiche

  Etymology Capire Italian to understand iche Italian suffix indicating understa

• capstan

  Etymology The word capstan comes from the Old French word cabestan which is derived

• caption

  Etymology Caption comes from the Latin word captio meaning to seize or to captur

• captious

  Etymology The word captious is derived from the Latin word captiō meaning to take

• captivate

  Etymology Origin Latin captivāre meaning to capture enslave Root capere mea

• captive

  Etymology The word captive comes from the Latin word captivus meaning taken captiv

• captor

  Etymology Latin captor taker seizer captor Proto Indo European kap to seize

• capture

  Etymology Origin Latin capere meaning to take hold of seize Evolution Latin c

• case

  Etymology The word case derives from the Old French word cas which in turn comes fro

• catch

  Etymology The word catch comes from the Middle English word cacchen which itself der

• catchpoll

  Etymology The word catchpoll comes from the Middle English term cachepolle which is

• cater

  Etymology Cater derives from the Middle English word catere which is of uncertain ori

• chase

  Etymology Old French chacier Latin captiare meaning to seize capture hunt Mean

• chase

  Etymology Old French chacier Latin captiare meaning to seize capture hunt Mean

• chasse

  Etymology Old French chasse noun chacier verb Vulgar Latin captiare to seiz

• chasseur

  Etymology The word chasseur comes from the Old French word chacier meaning to hunt

• copper

  Etymology The word copper comes from the Latin word cuprum which is believed to be

• deceive

  Etymology Old French deçoivre deceivre Latin decipere to catch someone out to

• emancipate

  Etymology Latin emancipare to release a child from parental authority Latin root

• except

  Etymology Latin excipere meaning to take out receive or catch Meaning A word o

• forceps

  Etymology and Origin of Forceps The term forceps comes from the Latin word forceps

• gaffe

  Etymology Early 17th century probably from Spanish gafo lame clumsy awkward f

• haft

• have

  Etymology is the study of the origin and development of words including their form and me

• hawk

  Etymology The word hawk comes from the Middle English word hauk which is ultimately

• heave

  Etymology Middle English from late 14th century from Middle Dutch heven Old Saxon heb

• heavy

  Etymology Middle English hevy from Old English hefig heavy weighty Proto Germanic

• heft

  Etymology The word heft is derived from the Middle English word heften which itself

• incapacity

  Etymology Latin in not or without capax roomy able to hold Origin 14t

• inception

  Etymology Inception is derived from the Latin word incipio which means to begin o

• incipient

  Etymology Incipient comes from the Latin word incipere meaning to begin or to com

• intercept

  Etymology Latin intercipere inter between capere to take Meaning To s

• intussusception

  Etymology Intus Latin Within Suscipere Latin To receive Meaning Intussuscepti

• manciple

  Etymology Origin Middle English 14th century from Middle French manacepier mancipe

• municipal

  Etymology The word municipal derives from the Latin word municipalis which in turn c

• occupy

  Etymology The word occupy comes from the Latin word occupare which means to take po

• participation

  Etymology The word participation originates from the Latin word participatio which

• perceive

  Etymology Latin percipere to take hold of lay hold of Proto Indo European per

• precept

  Etymology The word precept comes from the Latin word praeceptum which means comman

• prince

  Etymology Old French prince Latin princeps first citizen Meaning A sovereig

• purchase

  Etymology Origin Old French purchaz Latin perquadrere to acquire Meaning T

• receive

  Etymology The word receive comes from the Middle English word receiven which itself

• recipe

  Etymology The word recipe comes from the Latin word recipere meaning to take or rec

• recuperate

  Etymology Latin recuperare Re again back capere to take seize Meaning

• sashay

• susceptible

  Etymology From Middle English susceptible from Old French susceptible from Latin susc

• cynical

  Etymology The word cynical derives from the ancient Greek word κυνικός kynik

• observe

  Etymology refers to the study of the origin and development of words It can be used to tr

• indulgence

  Etymology Late Middle English in the sense a privilege granted by the Church to a p

• melancholy

  Etymology The word melancholy originates from the Greek words melas black and khol

• capacity

  Etymology Latin capacitas Late Latin capere to take to hold Meaning The a

• cause

  Etymology The word cause derives from the Old French word cause which itself comes f

• target

  Etymology Target comes from the Middle English word targe which in turn derives fro

• fairy

  Etymology The word fairy is derived from the Old French word faerie which in turn e

• save

  Etymology Old French sauve Latin salvus whole safe Meaning To protect or

• contempt

  Etymology and Origin Latin contemptus a feeling of disrespect or scorn From the ve