prevarication
支吾,搪塞
Pre·var·i·ca·tion n.
1. The act of prevaricating, shuffling, or quibbling, to evade the truth or the disclosure of truth; a deviation from the truth and fair dealing.
The august tribunal of the skies, where no prevarication shall avail. --Cowper.
2. A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office.
3. Law (a) Roman Law The collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the purpose of making a sham prosecution. (b) Common Law A false or deceitful seeming to undertake a thing for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
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prevarication
n 1: a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth [syn: lie]
2: intentionally vague or ambiguous [syn: equivocation, evasiveness]
3: the deliberate act of deviating from the truth [syn: lying,
fabrication]