palter
UK /ˈpɒltə/ · US /ˈpɔl.tɚ/ verb
Forms palters paltering paltered paulter
- verb To talk insincerely; to prevaricate or equivocate in speech or actions.
- verb (psychology, mediation) To give a false impression by selective use of true but misleading statements.
- verb (now rare) To trifle.
- verb To haggle.
- verb To babble; to chatter.
Synonyms
Etymology
Probably from Middle English *palter (“rag, trifle, worthless thing”), from Middle Low German palter (“rag, cloth”). More at paltry.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To haggle. [Obs.] Cotgrave.
- verb To act in insincere or deceitful manner; to play false; to equivocate; to shift; to dodge; to trifle.
- verb To trifle with; to waste; to squander in paltry ways or on worthless things. [Obs.] "Palter out your time in the penal statutes." Beau. & Fl.
Etymology [See Paltry.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “palter”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details