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verb (used without object), -sat·ed, -sat·ing.
1.
to change repeatedly one's attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.
2.
to turn renegade.
Origin:
1645–55; < Latin tergiversātus (past participle of tergiversārī to turn one's back), equivalent to tergi- (combining form of tergum back) + versātus, past participle of versāre, frequentative of vertere to turn; see -ate1
1645–55; < Latin tergiversātus (past participle of tergiversārī to turn one's back), equivalent to tergi- (combining form of tergum back) + versātus, past participle of versāre, frequentative of vertere to turn; see -ate1
Related forms
ter·gi·ver·sa·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Tergiversation
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
tergiversation
turning dishonestly from a straightforward action or statement; shifting, shuffling, equivocation, 1570, from L. tergiversationem (nom. tergiversatio) "a shifting, evasion," from tergiversari "turn one's back on, evade," from tergum "the back" (of unknown origin) + versare "to spin, turn" (see
EXPAND versus).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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