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What is "equivocate"

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equivocate
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
equivocate
verb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Wilson continues to equivocate about what action he will take.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ He knew of course that Theo would equivocate.
▪ The courts continue to equivocate as to whether the traditional approach should be maintained.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Equivocate

Equivocate \E*quiv"o*cate\, v. t. To render equivocal or ambiguous.

He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation.
--Sir G. Buck.

Equivocate

Equivocate \E*quiv"o*cate\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Equivocated; p. pr. & vb. n. Equivocating.] [L. aequivocatus, p. p. of aequivocari to be called by the same name, fr. L. aequivocus: cf. F. ['e]quivoquer. See Equivocal,

  1. ] To use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity.

    All that Garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate.
    --Bp. Stillingfleet.

    Syn: To prevaricate; evade; shuffle; quibble. See Prevaricate.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
equivocate

early 15c., equivocaten, from Medieval Latin equivocatus, past participle of equivocare "to call by the same name, be called by the same name, have the same sound," from Late Latin aequivocus "of identical sound" (see equivocation). Related: Equivocated; equivocating.

Wiktionary
equivocate

vb. 1 (context intransitive English) To use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity. 2 To render equivocal or ambiguous.

WordNet
equivocate

v. be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information [syn: beat around the bush, tergiversate, prevaricate, palter]

Usage examples of "equivocate".

Lattimore thought Stalin was a peach, but he equivocated about our Nationalist Chinese ally Chiang Kai-shek.

We'll need witnesses"—you equivocating dastards, he added, to himself.

Brim equivocated, struggling to dismiss the seductive woman who still held his glance.

When some prospective juror, in his eagerness either to serve or to escape, deliberately equivocates in answer to an important question as to his personal history.

Please do not spoil your respect for our sincerity by equivocating now.

Not well exactly, not mainlining caffeine the way he was, but this was no time to equivocate or go into details.