hair-splittingly en · ADV
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree English hair-splitting Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English hair-splittingly From hair-splitting + -ly.
Meanings
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(idiomatic) In a hair-splitting way, characterized by exceedingly small differences, fine details, or edge cases of no seeming importance.
Nobody expected the vote to be so hair-splittingly close.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most hair-splittingly | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| hairsplittingly | alternative | lexicographic | |
| more hair-splittingly | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |