Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An equivocal word used to deprive a statement of its force or to evade a direct commitment.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun pejorative A word used to qualify a statement so as to make it potentially misleading.
- verb To use weasel words.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an equivocal qualification; a word used to avoid making an outright assertion
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[From the weasel's habit of sucking the contents out of an egg without breaking the shell.]
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Examples
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whichbe commented on the word weasel word
Deliberately misleading or ambiguous elements of language used to avoid making a straightforward statement while simultaneously generating the illusion that a direct, clear form of communication is being utilized. This type of language is used to deceive, distract, or manipulate an audience. (Wikipedia)
July 26, 2008