palter Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
    beat around the bush; equivocate; tergiversate; prevaricate.

WordNet

Pal"ter intransitive verb
Etymology
See Paltry.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Paltered ; present participle & verbal noun Paltering
Definitions
  1. To haggle. Obs. Cotgrave.
  2. To act in insincere or deceitful manner; to play false; to equivocate; to shift; to dodge; to trifle.
    Romans, that have spoke the word, And will not palter. Shak.
    Who never sold the truth to serve the hour, Nor paltered with eternal God for power. Tennyson.
  3. To babble; to chatter. Obs.
Pal"ter transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To trifle with; to waste; to squander in paltry ways or on worthless things. Obs. "Palter out your time in the penal statutes." Beau. & Fl.

Webster 1913