See tergiversate in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for tergiversate meaning in English (7.5kB)
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "tergiversor",
"4": "tergiversārī",
"5": "to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on"
},
"expansion": "Latin tergiversārī (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "-ate",
"3": "",
"4": "forming verbs"
},
"expansion": "-ate (“forming verbs”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "tergum",
"3": "",
"4": "back, hind"
},
"expansion": "tergum (“back, hind”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "vertō",
"3": "vertere",
"4": "to turn"
},
"expansion": "vertere (“to turn”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Latin tergiversārī (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”) + English -ate (“forming verbs”), from tergum (“back, hind”) + vertere (“to turn”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "tergiversates",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "tergiversating",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "tergiversated",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "tergiversated",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "tergiversate (third-person singular simple present tergiversates, present participle tergiversating, simple past and past participle tergiversated)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "tergiversation"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "tergiversator"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1999, Philip McCutchan, Werner Levi, The Hoof, page 18",
"text": "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.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner."
],
"id": "en-tergiversate-en-verb-U5klbu8T",
"links": [
[
"evade",
"evade"
],
[
"equivocate",
"equivocate"
],
[
"subterfuge",
"subterfuge"
],
[
"obfuscate",
"obfuscate"
],
[
"deliberate",
"deliberate"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "91 5 4",
"sense": "to evade, obfuscate",
"word": "prevaricate"
},
{
"_dis1": "91 5 4",
"sense": "to evade, obfuscate",
"word": "beat around the bush"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "uvǎrtam",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "увъртам"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "vytáčet se"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "vymlouvat se"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "se dérober"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"note": "in part",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiverser"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiversare"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiversor"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiversar"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiversa"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "uklonjátʹsja",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "уклоня́ться"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "uvílivatʹ",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "уви́ливать"
},
{
"_dis1": "95 3 2",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "uvjórtyvatʹsja",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "увёртываться"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "10 84 6",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 60 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms suffixed with -ate",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2002, Colin Morris, Peter Roberts, chapter 8, in Pilgrimage: The English Experience from Becket to Bunyan, page 221",
"text": "Henry had hesitated before authorising the spoliation; he would soon tergiversate on other matters of doctrine but this act was irreversible.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize."
],
"id": "en-tergiversate-en-verb-9xRO53i8",
"links": [
[
"affiliation",
"affiliation"
],
[
"apostatize",
"apostatize"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "3 94 3",
"sense": "to change sides",
"word": "desert"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "ar",
"lang": "Arabic",
"roman": "irtadda",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "اِرْتَدَّ"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "odpadnout"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "přeběhnout"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "kääntää takkinsa"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "changer de camp"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "retourner sa chemise"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "predavátʹ",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "предава́ть"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "otstupátʹsja",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "отступа́ться"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 98 1",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "peremetnútʹsja",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "переметну́ться"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"To flee by turning one's back."
],
"id": "en-tergiversate-en-verb-cVkwSx2z",
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, rare) To flee by turning one's back."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/tɝˈd͡ʒɪvɝseɪt/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-tergiversate.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/30/En-us-tergiversate.ogg/En-us-tergiversate.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/En-us-tergiversate.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
},
{
"enpr": "tər-jɪv'ər-sāt"
}
],
"word": "tergiversate"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 4-syllable words",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English terms derived from Latin",
"English terms suffixed with -ate",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English verbs"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "tergiversor",
"4": "tergiversārī",
"5": "to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on"
},
"expansion": "Latin tergiversārī (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "-ate",
"3": "",
"4": "forming verbs"
},
"expansion": "-ate (“forming verbs”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "tergum",
"3": "",
"4": "back, hind"
},
"expansion": "tergum (“back, hind”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "la",
"2": "vertō",
"3": "vertere",
"4": "to turn"
},
"expansion": "vertere (“to turn”)",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Latin tergiversārī (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”) + English -ate (“forming verbs”), from tergum (“back, hind”) + vertere (“to turn”).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "tergiversates",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "tergiversating",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "tergiversated",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "tergiversated",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "tergiversate (third-person singular simple present tergiversates, present participle tergiversating, simple past and past participle tergiversated)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"word": "tergiversation"
},
{
"word": "tergiversator"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1999, Philip McCutchan, Werner Levi, The Hoof, page 18",
"text": "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.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner."
],
"links": [
[
"evade",
"evade"
],
[
"equivocate",
"equivocate"
],
[
"subterfuge",
"subterfuge"
],
[
"obfuscate",
"obfuscate"
],
[
"deliberate",
"deliberate"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2002, Colin Morris, Peter Roberts, chapter 8, in Pilgrimage: The English Experience from Becket to Bunyan, page 221",
"text": "Henry had hesitated before authorising the spoliation; he would soon tergiversate on other matters of doctrine but this act was irreversible.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize."
],
"links": [
[
"affiliation",
"affiliation"
],
[
"apostatize",
"apostatize"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with rare senses"
],
"glosses": [
"To flee by turning one's back."
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, rare) To flee by turning one's back."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive",
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/tɝˈd͡ʒɪvɝseɪt/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-tergiversate.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/30/En-us-tergiversate.ogg/En-us-tergiversate.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/En-us-tergiversate.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
},
{
"enpr": "tər-jɪv'ər-sāt"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"sense": "to evade, obfuscate",
"word": "prevaricate"
},
{
"sense": "to evade, obfuscate",
"word": "beat around the bush"
},
{
"sense": "to change sides",
"word": "desert"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "uvǎrtam",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "увъртам"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "vytáčet se"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "vymlouvat se"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "se dérober"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"note": "in part",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiverser"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiversare"
},
{
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiversor"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiversar"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"word": "tergiversa"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "uklonjátʹsja",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "уклоня́ться"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "uvílivatʹ",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "уви́ливать"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "uvjórtyvatʹsja",
"sense": "to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "увёртываться"
},
{
"code": "ar",
"lang": "Arabic",
"roman": "irtadda",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "اِرْتَدَّ"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "odpadnout"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "přeběhnout"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "kääntää takkinsa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "changer de camp"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"word": "retourner sa chemise"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "predavátʹ",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "предава́ть"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "otstupátʹsja",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "отступа́ться"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "peremetnútʹsja",
"sense": "to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "переметну́ться"
}
],
"word": "tergiversate"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (1d5a7d1 and 304864d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.