CHICANE, noun 1. In law, shift; turn; trick; cavil; an abuse of judiciary proceedings, by artifices, unfair practices, or idle objections, which tend to perplex a cause, puzzle the judge, or impose on a party, and thus to delay or pervert justice. 2. In disputes, sophistry; distinctions and subtleties, that tend to perplex the question and obscure the truth. 3. Any artifice or stratagem. CHICANE, verb intransitive To use shafts, cavils or artifices.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI