tiff Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a quarrel about petty points
    squabble; fuss; bicker; pettifoggery; bickering; spat.

WordNet

Tiff noun
Etymology
Originally, a sniff, sniffing; cf. Icel. efr a smell, efa to sniff, Norw. tev a drawing in of the breath, teva to sniff, smell, dial. Sw. tüv smell, scent, taste.
Definitions
  1. Liquor; especially, a small draught of liquor. "Sipping his tiff of brandy punch." Sir W. Scott.
  2. A fit of anger or peevishness; a slight altercation or contention. See Tift. Thackeray.
Tiff intransitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Tiffed ; present participle & verbal noun Tiffing
Definitions
  1. To be in a pet.
    She tiffed with Tim, she ran from Ralph. Landor.
Tiff transitive verb
Etymology
OE. tiffen, OF. tiffer, tifer, to bedizen; cf. D. tippen to clip the points or ends of the hair, E. tip, n.
Definitions
  1. To deck out; to dress. Obs. A. Tucker.

Webster 1913