Bickering

Bick′er-ing

,

Noun.

1.

A skirmishing.

“Frays and bickerings.”

Milton.

2.

Altercation; wrangling.

,

ppr.

Quarreling; contending; quivering.

bickering ‎(plural bickerings)

Petty quarreling. Usually considered a childish behaviour, although often applied to adults.
- 1820, in Memoirs of John Duke of Marlborough, By William Coxe, Ch.40 heading.
  Meeting of Parliament. — Choice of a whig Speaker. — Speech from the throne. — Parliamentary proceedings, and party bickerings.
- 2011 October 15, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 1 - 1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
  After Evra was also shown a yellow card following a prolonged bout of bickering which also involved Suarez, Ferguson decided on a double change by replacing Park Ji-sung and Ashley Young with Nani and Rooney.

petty quarreling

bickering

present participle of bicker