tergĭ-versor, ātus, 1, v. dep. n. [tergum],
to turn one’s back; hence, to decline refuse; to boggle , shuffle , seek a shift or eva sion; to shift , tergiversate (a favorite word of Cicero; otherwise rare): itaque eam ter giversari non sinent secumque rapient, Cic. Tusc. 5, 28, 81: an cuncter et tergiverser, ut lis me dem, qui, etc., id. Att. 7, 12, 3: quid taces? quid dissimulas? quid tergiversaris? id. Planc. 19, 48: hunc aestuantem et tergiversantem judicio ille persequitur, id. Fl. 20, 47; Fannius invitus et huc atque il luc tergiversans, id. Rosc. Com. 13, 37; id. Att. 16, 5, 3: quid tergiversamur? id. Tusc. 3, 18, 41 in his tribus generibus non incal lide tergiversantur, id. Off. 3, 33, 118: non est locus ad tergiversandum, id. Att. 7, 1, 4: consules ipsos tergiversari, Liv. 2, 23, 13: movebant consulem haec, sed tergiversari res cogebat, id. 2, 27, 3: accusatores aut calumniantur aut praevaricantur aut tergi versantur...Tergiversari, in universum ab accusatione desistere. Dig. 48, 16, 1.— Hence, tergiversanter , adv., back wardly , reluctantly : pugnam inire, Vell. 1, 9, 3.