palter

verb /ˈpɒltə/

1. To talk insincerely; to prevaricate or equivocate in speech or actions.

   And will not palter.

   Romans, that have spoke the word,

2. To talk insincerely; to prevaricate or equivocate in speech or actions. — To give a false impression by selective use of true but misleading statements.

3. To trifle.

   archaic

   Palter out your time in the penal statutes.

4. To haggle.

   Herceler. Voyez to haggle, to dodge. N.b. Cotgrave defines herceler/harceler by example: "to haggle, hucke, hedge, or paulter long in the buying of commodity".

Where it comes from

Probably from Middle English *palter (“rag, trifle, worthless thing”), from Middle Low German palter (“rag, cloth”). More at paltry.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry palter (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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