n. One who makes excessively fine or needless distinctions in reasoning; one who quibbles. “The caviling hairsplitter.” De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Making excessively fine or trivial distinctions in reasoning; overly subtle. --
The ancient hairsplitting technicalities of special pleading. Charles Sumner. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Horology) The slender recoil spring which regulates the motion of the balance in a timepiece. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A butterfly of the genus