---
title: bicker — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «bicker» in the school dictionary: To bicker is to argue or quarrel about small things, again and again. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# bicker

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** bicker, spirits, two sisters, you, old man, ale · **What happens:** be, quarrel, bicker, sit, drink · **To what, where:** small wooden drinking bowl, cupful, bicker

<!-- .vabout -->
«bicker» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 3 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [bicker in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/bicker.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To bicker is to argue or quarrel about small things, again and again.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:bicker:m1:1
# text = To bicker is to argue or quarrel about small things, again and again.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	bicker	bicker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	advcl	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	argue	argue	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	quarrel	quarrel	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
8	about	about	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
12	again	again	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	again	again	ADV	RB	_	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | argue *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **quarrel** | infinitive |  |  |  |  | again | about small things | vn battle-36.4 «NP V PP.theme NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent about thing=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: old use — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A bicker is a small wooden drinking bowl or cup, and a bicker of spirits is a cupful of drink.

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:bicker:m2:1
# text = A bicker is a small wooden drinking bowl or cup, and a bicker of spirits is a cupful of drink.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	bicker	bicker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
5	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
6	wooden	wooden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	drinking	drinking	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	bowl	bowl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
9	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	cup	cup	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	bicker	bicker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	spirits	spirit	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nmod	_	_
17	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	cupful	cupful	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
20	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
21	drink	drink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a bicker | a small wooden drinking bowl or cup and a cupful |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is a** | present | a bicker of spirits | a cupful |  |  |  | of drink | tree rules |
| 3 | **bicker** |  | spirits |  |  |  |  |  | nom bicker «communication intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The two sisters bicker about who sits by the fire.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:bicker:x1:1
# text = The two sisters bicker about who sits by the fire.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	3	nummod	_	_
3	sisters	sister	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	bicker	bicker	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	about	about	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	sits	sit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	fire	fire	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bicker** | present | the two sisters |  |  |  |  |  | vn battle-36.4 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **sit** | present |  |  |  |  |  | by the fire | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent by fire=Location |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why do you always bicker with your brother?

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:bicker:x2:1
# text = Why do you always bicker with your brother?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
2	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	5	advmod	_	_
5	bicker	bicker	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bicker** | present · do-support | you |  |  |  |  | with your brother; always *property* | vn battle-36.4 «NP V PP.co-agent»: agent=Agent with brother=Co-Agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old man drank a bicker of ale before bed.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:bicker:x3:1
# text = The old man drank a bicker of ale before bed.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	drank	drink	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	bicker	bicker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	ale	ale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
9	before	before	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	bed	bed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **drink** | past | the old man | a bicker of ale before bed |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bicker=Patient |
| 2 | **bicker** |  | ale before bed |  |  |  |  |  | nom bicker «communication intransitive»: of=agent |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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