was wotd|2006|December|5
English
Pronunciation
IPA|/prɪ�værɪkeɪt/
audio|en-us-prevaricate.ogg|Audio (US)

Verb
en-verb|prevaricat|es

1. intransitive To shift or turn from the direct course, or from truth; to evade the truth; to waffle or be (intentionally) ambiguous.
2. intransitive To speak with equivocation; to shuffle; to quibble.
3. intransitive To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.

Translations
trans-top|To shift or turn from the direct course, or from truth
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|To speak with equivocation; to shuffle; to quibble
Finnish: vältellä
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|To collude
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Quotations
1878 � w:Thomas Hardy|Thomas Hardy, s:The Return of the Native|The Return of the Native, Book 4, ch 1
:At the moment of her departure he could prevaricate no longer, and, confessing to the gambling, told her the truth as far as he knew it--that the guineas had been won by Wildeve.

Related terms
prevarication

See also
lie

io:prevaricate
te:prevaricate
vi:prevaricate
zh:prevaricate

• 2007-12-23 22:21 - Philiprogers - /* Translations */ Minor change, added T to the word To

Full Revision History