Date: Sat Apr 8 00:18:20 EDT 1995
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--captious
cap.tious \'kap-sh*s\ adj : marked by an inclination to find fault :
CRITICAL
-- cap.tious.ly adv
-- cap.tious.ness n

captious

SYLLABICATION: cap·tious
PRONUNCIATION: kpshs
ADJECTIVE: 1. Marked by a disposition to find and point out trivial faults: a captious scholar. 2. Intended to entrap or confuse, as in an argument: a captious question.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English capcious, from Old French captieux, from Latin captisus, from capti, seizure, sophism, from captus, past participle of capere, to seize. See kap- in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS: captious·ly —ADVERB
captious·ness —NOUN