palter

[ pawl-ter ]

verb (used without object)

1. to talk or act insincerely or deceitfully; lie or use trickery.
2. to bargain with; haggle.
3. to act carelessly; trifle.

palter

/ ˈpɔːltə /

verb

1. to act or talk insincerely
2. to haggle

Derived Forms

• ˈpalterer, noun

Other Words From

• palter·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of palter¹

1530–40 in sense “to speak indistinctly,” perhaps alteration of falter in same sense, with p- from palsy ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of palter¹

C16: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

“In that short period, we collected as many ocean CO2 measurements in the Gulf Stream for the month of February as had ever been recorded in the entire history of oceanography,” Jaime Palter, a URI carbon scientist and a co-principal investigator of the mission, said in a statement.

From Seattle Times

“Though it is upsetting because of the ultimate danger the whales faced, it is not surprising that they appear to move north in response to these changes,” said Jaime Palter, a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who was not involved with the study.

From New York Times

You can equivocate, or dissemble, or palter, or mislead, or prevaricate, or fib, or perjure.

From Washington Post

They’re partnering with NOAA, along with Palter, to analyze the findings once obtained.

From Washington Post

Palter’s aim was to better understand how currents like the Gulf Stream fit into the global carbon cycle and how much of a net carbon sink, or absorber, they are.

From Washington Post