Forms: 3–4 biker, 4–5 bekir, bikre, bykkyr, 4–6 byker, 5 bekur, bikir, -kyr, bykere, bykker, bikkar, 6 bikker, bikar, 6– bicker. [ME. biker, like the associated verb bikeren, of uncertain origin: nor can it be said whether the sb. is derived from the verb or vice versâ. So far as evidence goes, the sb. appears earlier, and might, as in battle, quarrel, skirmish, be the source. On the other hand, the verb has the form of a frequentative, as in sputter, totter, flutter, etc., which is in favor of its priority. Mätzner and Skeat would see in it the freq. of the rare and somewhat doubtful bike ‘? to thrust, strike with a pointed weapon,’ noted under BEAK v. 3, q.v. The obs. Welsh bicra is not native.]
1. Skirmishing; a skirmish, encounter, fight; exchange of blows.
1297. R. Glouc., 538. Bituene the castel of Gloucetre & Brumefeld al so Ther was ofte biker gret, & muche harm ido.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XX. 8363. Mony bold in the bekur were on bent leuit!
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 35/2. Bikyr of fytynge [1499 bykere or feightinge], pugna.
1530. Palsgr., 198/1. Bicker fightyng, escarmovche.
2. esp. An encounter with missiles; anciently an attack with arrows; in later Sc., a street or school fight with stones and the like.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 547. Twenty he had yat nobill archars war … On Wallace sett a bykker bauld and keyne.
c. 1505. Dunbar, Gold. Targe, 145. A wonder lusty bikkir [v.r. bikar] me assayit.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., III. 322. With tha stanis thir stalwart carlis strang Ane bikker maid.
1810. Sir A. Boswell, Edinb., 164. From hand and sling now fly the whizzing stones … The bicker rages.
1861. J. Hannay, Ess. fr. Q. Rev., 371. He went to the High School, and joined in the street fights called bickers.
3. Quarrel, contention; angry altercation.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 79. Gospatrik þat suffred biker, he reft boþe lond & liþþe.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2661. If thou sey nay we two shul have a bekyr [v.r. byker, biker, bekir, bikre, bykkyr].
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 46. Þe bolder in bikir y bidde him bataile.
1883. R. Brown, in Academy, 15 Sept., 175/1. The rise and progress of the colony, its bickers with autocratic Governors and Chief Justices, [etc.].
4. Noise as of contention, rattle of light guns, sound of a rapid stream descending over a stony channel, etc. Cf. BICKER v. 4.
1870. Daily News, 7 Dec., 6/1. There was a sublimity in the roar, such as could be produced by no bicker of mere field artillery.
1872. Blackie, Lays Highl., 47. Leap the white-maned fountains With lusty bicker to the vale below.
b. Sc. A short rapid run.
1785. Burns, Dr. Hornbook, v. Leeward whyles, against my will, I took a bicker.
