palter

[ pawl-ter ]
See synonyms for palter on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)
  1. to talk or act insincerely or deceitfully; lie or use trickery.

  2. to bargain with; haggle.

  1. to act carelessly; trifle.

Origin of palter

1
1530–40 in sense “to speak indistinctly,” perhaps alteration of falter in same sense, with p- from palsy1

Other words from palter

  • pal·ter·er, noun

Words Nearby palter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use palter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for palter

palter

/ (ˈpɔːltə) /


verb(intr)
  1. to act or talk insincerely

  2. to haggle

Origin of palter

1
C16: of unknown origin

Derived forms of palter

  • palterer, noun

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