| 释义 |
▪ I. equivocate, n. rare.|iːˈkwɪvəkət|
[ad. L. æquivocāt-um, neut. pa. pple. of æquivocāre: see next.]
A word identical in form but not in meaning.
1881Pall Mall G. 11 June 21/1 The comic confusion made by the translator between the Latin algeo and its Greek equivocate.
▪ II. equivocate, v.|iːˈkwɪvəkeɪt|
[f. low L. æquivocāt- ppl. stem of æquivocā-re to call by the same name, f. late L. æquivoc-us: see equivocal. Cf. It. equivocare, Fr. équivoquer.]
†1. intr. To have the same sound with. Obs.
1611Cotgr. s.v. Promesse, The words fol lie equivocate vnto folie. Ibid. s.v. Sens, This word [Sens]..equivocates with Cent, a hundred.
†2. trans. To resemble so closely as to occasion mistake. Obs.
1681P. Rycaut Sp. Critick 120 Making Hell with these Sports and Pastimes equivocate a Paradise. Ibid. 158 Such twins both in colour and bigness, that one equivocates the other.
†3. intr. To use a word in more than one application or sense; to use words of double meaning; to deal in ambiguities. Obs.
1613R. C. Table Alph. (ed. 3), Equivocate, to speake doubtfully. 1635Austin Medit. 98 Hee doth not equivocate: but his meaning is, etc. 1685Baxter Paraphr. N.T. 1 Cor. xv. Annot., To..place those with the blessed Spirits, is but to equivocate, and not to use the Words univocally. 1681–6J. Scott Chr. Life (1747) III. 37 Either..he meant according to the common Sense, or..he intended to equivocate.
†b. trans. To misapprehend through ambiguity of language. Obs.
1665J. Serjeant Sure-footing 207 To put the point of Faith out of danger of being equivocated.
4. intr. In bad sense: ‘To mean one thing and express another’ (J.); to prevaricate.
1590Sandys Europæ Spec. (1632) 102 Making it lawfull for them to æquivocate with their adversaries in their answeres. 1727De Foe Syst. Magic i. iii. (1840) 84 It is enough if he does but equivocate, and tacitly grant it. 1832H. Martineau Ireland v. 88 By equivocating, hesitating, and giving ambiguous answers, she effected her purpose. 1848Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 379 The witness shuffled, equivocated, pretended to misunderstand the questions.
†5. trans.
a. To insinuate by equivocation.
b. To evade (an oath, a promise) by equivocation.
1626L. Owen Spec. Jesuit. (1629) 20 To equiuocate and falsie their oaths and faiths. 1645T. Hill Olive-br. Peace (1648) 14 Though you will not swear (perhaps), God knows whether you will not equivocate a lye in your Trading. 1646Sir G. Buck Rich. III, 142 He equivocated his Vow by a Mental Reservation. a1649Drummond of Hawthornden Wks. (1711) 201 When an oath..should oblige you to arise in arms..ye..endeavour now to make evasions and equivocate it. |