"nitpicking" meaning in English

See nitpicking in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: nitpickings [plural]
Etymology: From nit + picking. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|nit|picking}} nit + picking Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} nitpicking (countable and uncountable, plural nitpickings)
  1. The painstaking process of removing nits (lice eggs) from someone's hair. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-nitpicking-en-noun-DyLiTfrS
  2. (figuratively, by extension) A process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder. Tags: broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable Translations (any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors): تَمَحُّلُ النَّقْد (tamaḥḥulu n-naqd) [masculine] (Arabic), চুলচেরা বিচার (culcera bicar) (Bengali), flueknepperi [masculine] (Danish), muggenziften [masculine] (Dutch), mierenneuken (Dutch), niuhotus (Finnish), niuhottaminen (Finnish), pinaillerie [feminine] (French), pinaillage [masculine] (French), ergotage [masculine] (French), chicane [feminine] (French), pointilleux [masculine] (French), pédanterie [feminine] (French), Pedanterie [feminine] (German), Erbsenzählerei [feminine] (German), szőrszálhasogatás (Hungarian), sparðatíningur [masculine] (Icelandic), pignoleria [feminine] (Italian), cavillosità [feminine] (Italian), pedantismo [masculine] (Italian), puntigliosità [feminine] (Italian), ситничарење (sitničarenje) [neuter] (Macedonian), totetore (Maori), flisespikkeri [neuter] (Norwegian Bokmål)
    Sense id: en-nitpicking-en-noun-oTzHNz-E Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Bengali translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Macedonian translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 33 67 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 30 70 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 19 81 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 31 69 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Bengali translations: 33 67 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 26 74 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 32 68 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 31 69 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 33 67 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 32 68 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 33 67 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations: 34 66 Disambiguation of 'any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors': 12 88
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: nit-picking Related terms: nitpick, nitpicker, nitpicky

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nit",
        "3": "picking"
      },
      "expansion": "nit + picking",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From nit + picking.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "nitpickings",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
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      "expansion": "nitpicking (countable and uncountable, plural nitpickings)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "nitpick"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "nitpicker"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "nitpicky"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The painstaking process of removing nits (lice eggs) from someone's hair."
      ],
      "id": "en-nitpicking-en-noun-DyLiTfrS",
      "links": [
        [
          "painstaking",
          "painstaking"
        ],
        [
          "nit",
          "nit"
        ],
        [
          "lice",
          "lice"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "33 67",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 70",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 81",
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 69",
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        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 67",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 74",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 68",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 69",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 67",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "32 68",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 67",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Macedonian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 66",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "\"Of all life's pleasures, I like nitpicking the best.\" -- Wally in Dilbert"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder."
      ],
      "id": "en-nitpicking-en-noun-oTzHNz-E",
      "links": [
        [
          "detail",
          "detail"
        ],
        [
          "error",
          "error"
        ],
        [
          "insignificant",
          "insignificant"
        ],
        [
          "irrelevant",
          "irrelevant"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, by extension) A process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "countable",
        "figuratively",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "tamaḥḥulu n-naqd",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "تَمَحُّلُ النَّقْد"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "bn",
          "lang": "Bengali",
          "roman": "culcera bicar",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "word": "চুলচেরা বিচার"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "flueknepperi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "muggenziften"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "word": "mierenneuken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "word": "niuhotus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "word": "niuhottaminen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "pinaillerie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pinaillage"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ergotage"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "chicane"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pointilleux"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "pédanterie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Pedanterie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Erbsenzählerei"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "word": "szőrszálhasogatás"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sparðatíningur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "pignoleria"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "cavillosità"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pedantismo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "puntigliosità"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "sitničarenje",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ситничарење"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "word": "totetore"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "12 88",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "flisespikkeri"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "nit-picking"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "nitpicking"
  ],
  "word": "nitpicking"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Bengali translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Macedonian translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nit",
        "3": "picking"
      },
      "expansion": "nit + picking",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From nit + picking.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "nitpickings",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "nitpicking (countable and uncountable, plural nitpickings)",
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "nitpick"
    },
    {
      "word": "nitpicker"
    },
    {
      "word": "nitpicky"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The painstaking process of removing nits (lice eggs) from someone's hair."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "painstaking",
          "painstaking"
        ],
        [
          "nit",
          "nit"
        ],
        [
          "lice",
          "lice"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "\"Of all life's pleasures, I like nitpicking the best.\" -- Wally in Dilbert"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "detail",
          "detail"
        ],
        [
          "error",
          "error"
        ],
        [
          "insignificant",
          "insignificant"
        ],
        [
          "irrelevant",
          "irrelevant"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively, by extension) A process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "countable",
        "figuratively",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "nit-picking"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "tamaḥḥulu n-naqd",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "تَمَحُّلُ النَّقْد"
    },
    {
      "code": "bn",
      "lang": "Bengali",
      "roman": "culcera bicar",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "word": "চুলচেরা বিচার"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "flueknepperi"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "muggenziften"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "word": "mierenneuken"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "word": "niuhotus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "word": "niuhottaminen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "pinaillerie"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pinaillage"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ergotage"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "chicane"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pointilleux"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "pédanterie"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Pedanterie"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Erbsenzählerei"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "word": "szőrszálhasogatás"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sparðatíningur"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "pignoleria"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "cavillosità"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pedantismo"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "puntigliosità"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "sitničarenje",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ситничарење"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "word": "totetore"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "any process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "flisespikkeri"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "nitpicking"
  ],
  "word": "nitpicking"
}

Download raw JSONL data for nitpicking meaning in English (5.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.