Pre*var"i*cate (?), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Prevaricated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prevaricating.] [L. praevaricatus, p. p. of
praevaricari to walk crookedly, to collude; prae before
+ varicare to straddle, fr. varicus straddling,
varus bent. See Varicose.] 1. To
shift or turn from one side to the other, from the direct course, or
from truth; to speak with equivocation; to shuffle; to quibble; as, he
prevaricates in his statement.
He prevaricates with his own
understanding.
South.
2. (Civil Law) To collude, as where an
informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham
prosecution.
3. (Eng. Law) To undertake a thing
falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying
it.
Syn. -- To evade; equivocate; quibble; shuffle. --
Prevaricate, Evade, Equivocate. One who
evades a question ostensibly answers it, but really turns aside
to some other point. He who equivocate uses words which have a
double meaning, so that in one sense he can claim to have said the
truth, though he does in fact deceive, and intends to do it. He who
prevaricates talks all round the question, hoping to "dodge"
it, and disclose nothing.
Pre*var"i*cate, v. t. To evade by a
quibble; to transgress; to pervert. [Obs.] Jer.
Taylor.
