waffling

waf·fle ¹

 (wŏf′əl)

n.

A light crisp cake made of batter and baked in a waffle iron.

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[Dutch wafel, from Middle Dutch wāfel; see webh- in Indo-European roots.]

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waf·fle ²

 (wŏf′əl) Informal

v. waf·fled, waf·fling, waf·fles

v.intr.

1. To be unable to make a decision; waver: He waffled over whether to ask for a raise.

2. To speak or write evasively: "The secretary waffled when she asked to see the dean" (Rita Mae Brown).

v.tr.

To speak, write, or act evasively about (something).

n.

Evasive or vague speech or writing.

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[Probably frequentative of obsolete waff, to yelp, probably of imitative origin.]

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waf′fler n.

waf′fling·ly adv.

waf′fly adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

waffling

[ˈwɒf^əlɪŋ] n → parlote f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005