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, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for weasel words

weasel words

pl n

informal intentionally evasive or misleading speech; equivocation

Derived forms of weasel words

weasel-worded, adjective

Word 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]