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weasel word
noun
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Some people believe that weasels can suck the insides out of an egg without damaging the shell. An egg thus weasel-treated would look fine on the outside, but it would actually be empty and useless. We don't know if weasels can really do that, but the belief that they could caused people to start using "weasel word" to refer to any term intended to give the impression that everything is fine when the speaker is really trying to avoid answering a question, telling the truth, or taking the blame for something.
Examples of weasel word in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'weasel word.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
from the weasel's reputed habit of sucking the contents out of an egg while leaving the shell superficially intact
1900, in the meaning defined above
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“Weasel word.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weasel%20word. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Kids Definition
weasel word
noun
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