(~s)
If you refer to an untrue statement as a ~, you mean that it is made to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or to avoid trouble, and not for an evil purpose.
N-COUNT
(~s)
If you refer to an untrue statement as a ~, you mean that it is made to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or to avoid trouble, and not for an evil purpose.
N-COUNT
Collins COBUILD. Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) . 2012