weasel word
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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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Origin of weasel word
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
OTHER WORDS FROM weasel word
weasel-worded, adjectiveWords nearby weasel word
weary, weasand, weasel, weaselly, weasel out, weasel word, weasel words, weather, weatherability, weather advisory, weather balloon
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use weasel word in a sentence
Idioms and Phrases with weasel word
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
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