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ter·giv·er·sate

(tər-jĭvər-sāt′, tûrjĭ-vər-)

intr.v. ter·giv·er·sat·ed, ter·giv·er·sat·ing, ter·giv·er·sates

1. To use evasions or ambiguities; equivocate.

2. To change sides; apostatize.

[Latin tergiversārī, tergiversāt- : tergum, the back + versāre, to turn; see wer-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

ter′gi·ver·sation n.

tergi·ver·sa′tor (-sā′tər) n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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