æquivocate

Verb

equivocate (third-person singular simple present equivocates, present participle equivocating, simple past and past participle equivocated)

1. (intransitive) To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive; to vacillate in one's answers, responding with equivoques.
   • Knock. Knock, knock. Who's there in th'other Deuils Name? Faith here's an Equiuocator, that could ſweare in both the Scales againſt eyther Scale, who committed Treaſon enough for Gods ſake, yet could not equiuocate to Heauen: oh come in, Equiuocator.c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...

   Synonyms:

   prevaricate, evade, shuffle, adumbrate

2. (transitive) To render equivocal or ambiguous.
   • He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation1647, George Buck, Reign of Richard the Third