— prevarication , n. — prevaricative, prevaricatory /pri var"i keuh tawr'ee, -tohr'ee/ , adj.
/pri var"i kayt'/ , v.i. , prevaricated, prevaricating .
to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
[ 1575-85; praevaricatus, ptp. of praevaricari to straddle something, (of an advocate) collude with an opponent's advocate, equiv. to prae- PRE- + varicare to straddle, deriv. of varus bent outwards, bow-legged ]
Syn . evade, shift.