[ad. L. tergiversātiōn-em, n. of action f. tergiversārī: see prec. and -ATION.]
1. The action of ‘turning one’s back on,’ i.e., forsaking, something in which one was previously engaged, interested, or concerned; desertion or abandonment of a cause, party, etc.;, apostasy, renegation. Also with a and pl., an instance of this; an act of desertion or apostasy.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 96. Their tergiuersation and backsliding from their duties.
1618. Mynshul, Ess. Prison, Ep. Ded. I haue now put my name to my Book (without tergiuersation or turne coating the letters).
a. 1631. Donne, Serm. (ed. Alford), V. 16. No tergiversation, nor abandoning the noble work he had begun.
1721. Amherst, Terræ Fil., Pref. (1754), 16. It will be very unreasonable for them to … charge their own fickleness upon those, who will not join with them in their new counsels and tergiversations.
1878. Stubbs, Const. Hist., III. xviii. 187. If betrayal or tergiversation is to be imputed to any.
† b. Refusal to obey; recusance. Obs. rare.
1676. Owen, Worship of God, 114. All tergiversation and backwardness in persons duly qualified and called.
a. 1740. Waterland, Serm. Matt. xxvi. 41, Wks. 1823, IX. 126. Jonas the Prophet discovered the like tergiversation and backwardness as to the errand he was sent upon to the Ninevites.
2. Turning in a dishonorable manner from straightforward action or statement; shifting, shuffling, equivocation, prevarication. Also with a and pl., an instance of this; an evasion, a subterfuge.
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), 1505/1. For all hys crafty cauteles and tergiuersations alledged out of the lawe.
1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., VII. vii. 304. For the preventing of all Cavils and Tergiversations.
1760. Jortin, Erasmus, II. 265. Here is a little tergiversation, and Erasmus seems to retract what he had advanced in many places.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xxxv. The duplicity and tergiversation of which he had been guilty.
1871. G. Meredith, H. Richmond, xxxviii. Applying to friends to fortify him in his shifts and tergiversations.
3. † a. The literal turning of the back. rare.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 200. He holds a stately gravity, allowing audience to none but on the knee, nor tergiversation in retiring.
b. The turning of the back for flight; flight, retreat (lit. and fig.). ? Obs.
a. 1652. J. Smith, Sel. Disc., X. iii. (1856), 475. Wicked men … seek to avoid the dreadful sentence of their own consciences by a tergiversation and flying from themselves.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 17. The Captain Governour of the Castle viewing the tergiversation and flight of his party.
1660. Burney, Κέρδ. Δῶρον (1661), 129. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Evil has a tergiversation from holy fear.
