1. a subtle distinction or evasive argument; a quibble
Usage: archaic; legal

Examples

• The lawyer’s quillet about the contract’s wording delayed the proceedings.
• He dismissed her objection as merely a quillet designed to avoid responsibility.
• The judge grew impatient with the attorney’s endless quillets and demanded a direct answer.
• Such quillets may impress in academic debate but serve little purpose in practical matters.
• The scholar’s argument was full of quillets that obscured rather than clarified the issue.