weasel word
noun
a word used to temper the forthrightness of a statement; a word that makes one's views equivocal, misleading, or confusing.
Origin of weasel word
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
OTHER WORDS FROM weasel word
wea·sel-word·ed, adjectiveWords nearby weasel word
wearproof,
weary,
weasand,
weasel,
weasel out,
weasel word,
weasel words,
weaselly,
weather,
weather advisory,
weather balloon
British Dictionary definitions for weasel words
weasel words
pl n
informal
intentionally evasive or misleading speech; equivocation
Derived forms of weasel words
weasel-worded, adjectiveWord Origin for weasel words
C20: alluding to the weasel's supposed ability to suck an egg out of its shell without seeming to break the shell
Idioms and Phrases with weasel words
weasel word
A word used to deprive a statement of its force or evade a direct commitment, as in Calling it “organized spontaneity” is using a weasel word; “organized” has sucked the meaning out of “spontaneity.” This idiom may allude to the weasel's habit of sucking the contents out of a bird's egg, so that only the shell remains. [Late 1800s]