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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.
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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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
Other 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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