split hairs

verbmake an extremely fine distinction

Synonyms for split hairs

verb make an extremely fine distinction

Word Origin & History

Old English hær "hair, a hair," from Proto-Germanic *khæran (cf. Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old High German har, Old Frisian her, Dutch and German haar "hair"), perhaps from PIE *ghers- "to stand out, to bristle, rise to a point" (cf. Lithuanian serys "bristle;" see horror).

Spelling influenced by Old Norse har and Old English haire "haircloth," from Old French haire, from Frankish *harja or some other Germanic source (see above). To let one's hair down "become familiar" is first recorded 1850. Phrase hair of the dog that bit you (1540s), homeopathic remedy, is in Pliny.

Example Sentences forsplit hairs

I'll not split hairs about what Greek best represents his nation.

Starza and Tichnat split hairs while I dozed and thought about Fern.

Just get me back, and we'll split hairs about it when I get around this way again.

They split hairs, if you will, but they wouldn't split the difference.

Here I found that the debaters had split hairs on what the fathers had done.

She was resolved not to split hairs with her husband over small matters; she would not nurse grievances.

In discussing theological questions, they split hairs; in making a bargain, they conclude to split the difference.

She was born before we began to split hairs, and have nerves instead of nerve.

The central bald spot, covered with a grayish scurf and surrounded by a circle of broken and split hairs, is characteristic.

To split hairs of deterrence over confirmed social hyenas, is to furnish them with the last formula from which to tear things.

split hairs

Synonyms for split hairs

differentiated

differentiates

differentiating

discriminate

pettifog

split hairs

Synonyms for split hairs

More words related to split hairs

differentiate

differentiated

differentiates

differentiating

discriminate

pettifog