tergiversate

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English

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Etymology

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From Latin tergiversārī (to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on) + English -ate (verb-forming suffix), from tergum (back, hind) + vertere (to turn).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/
  • (US) enPR: tər-jɪv'ər-sāt, IPA(key): /tɝˈd͡ʒɪvɝseɪt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Verb

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tergiversate (third-person singular simple present tergiversates, present participle tergiversating, simple past and past participle tergiversated)

  1. (intransitive) To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
    • 1999, Philip McCutchan, Werner Levi, The Hoof, →ISBN, page 18:
      The officials soon concluded that the easiest way to remain on good terms with the court was to elude responsibility, to tergiversate, to prevent results.
  2. (intransitive) To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize.
    • 2002, Colin Morris, Peter Roberts, chapter 8, in Pilgrimage: The English Experience from Becket to Bunyan, →ISBN, page 221:
      Henry had hesitated before authorising the spoliation; he would soon tergiversate on other matters of doctrine but this act was irreversible.
  3. (intransitive, rare) To flee by turning one's back.

Synonyms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

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Italian

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Etymology 1

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Verb

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tergiversate

  1. inflection of tergiversare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

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Participle

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tergiversate f pl

  1. feminine plural of tergiversato

Anagrams

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Latin

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Participle

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tergiversāte

  1. vocative masculine singular of tergiversātus

Spanish

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Verb

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tergiversate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of tergiversar combined with te