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Equivocate

to use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity. All that garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate. (bp. Stillingfleet)

Synonym: to prevaricate, evade, shuffle, quibble. See prevaricate.

Origin: L. Aequivocatus, p. P. Of aequivocari to be called by the same name, fr. L. Aequivocus: cf. F. Equivoquer. See equivocal.

to render equivocal or ambiguous. He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation. (Sir g. Buck)