weasel word
noun
a word used to temper the forthrightness of a statement; a word that makes one's views equivocal, misleading, or confusing.
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Weasel Words And Other Ways We Avoid Telling The TruthMost of us know what the word lying means, but what happens when someone carefully skirts the truth instead of telling a bold-faced whopper? Politicians, in particular, are well known for making use of equivocal language as a way of hiding their true actions.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
- wearproof,
- weary,
- weasand,
- weasel,
- weasel out,
- weasel words,
- weaselly,
- weather,
- weather advisory,
- weather balloon
Origin of weasel word
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
weasel words
pl n
informal intentionally evasive or misleading speech; equivocation
Word Origin for weasel words
C20: alluding to the weasel's supposed ability to suck an egg out of its shell without seeming to break the shell
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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weasel word
A word used to deprive a statement of its force or evade a direct commitment, as in Calling it “organized spontaneity” is using a weasel word; “organized” has sucked the meaning out of “spontaneity.” This idiom may allude to the weasel's habit of sucking the contents out of a bird's egg, so that only the shell remains. [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.