EQUIV'OCATE, verb intransitive To use words of a doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses; to use ambiguous expressions. To equivocate is the dishonorable work of duplicity. The upright man will not equivocate in his intercourse with his fellow men.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI