tergiversate
VerbOpen English WordNet
Verb (2)
- be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold informationSynonyms: beat around the bushequivocateprevaricatepalterMore general misinform, mislead
- abandon one's beliefs or allegiancesSynonyms: apostatizeapostatiseMore general disown, renounce
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onerousadjective
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Ter′gi·ver·sate intransitive verb
Origin: L. tergiversatus, p. p. of tergiversari to turn one's back, to shift; tergum back + versare, freq. of vertere to turn. See Verse.
To shift; to practice evasion; to use subterfuges; to shuffle. rare Nathan Bailey
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54