The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tergiversate \Ter"gi*ver*sate\, v. i. [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. [R.]
--Bailey.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1650s, back-formation from tergiversation, or else from Latin tergiversatus, past participle of tergiversari "be evasive," literally "to turn one's back." Related: Tergiversated; tergiversating.
Wiktionary
vb. (context intransitive English) To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
WordNet
v. be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information [syn: beat around the bush, equivocate, prevaricate, palter]
abandon one's beliefs or allegiances [syn: apostatize, apostatise]
Wikipedia
<!-- This long comment was added to the page to prevent it being listed on Special:Shortpages. It and the accompanying monitoring template were generated via Template:Longcomment. Please do not remove the monitor template without removing the comment as well.
Usage examples of "tergiversate".
I swear, Congressmen, that if this tergiversating Herr Kolhammer had his way, the national defense would be subject to veto by the Wobblies and the Comintern.