That carps; fault-finding, censorious, captious.
1581. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 48. Their carping disprayse.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., IV. i. 90. With enuious carping tongue.
1730. Ld. Lansdowne, To Mem. Waller, 20. No carping critic interrupts his praise.
1865. Trollope, Belton Est., xi. 120. That carping spirit in which she had been wont to judge of his actions.
¶ Confused with CARKING ppl. a.
1580. T. Marshall, in Farr’s S. P. (1845), II. 312. With carpyng cares did call and crie.
a. 1703. Burkitt, On N. T., Luke xii. 30. By our carping care.
Hence Carpingly adv., in a carping way.
1579. J. Rogers (title), An Answere vnto a wicked & infamous Libel made by Christopher Vitel … carpingly answeringe to certaine pointes [etc.].
1577–86. Holinshed, Chron. Irel. (1808), VI. 13. Through his procurement carpinglie published.
1755. in Johnson.
