Today's words

tergiversation /'ter-jiv-er-SAY-shun/ - 1. evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement : equivocation 2 : desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith

I usually only put words I didn't know here. I made an exception because of one aspect or another of the related words in this WOTD column.

tergiversate /TER-jəv-er-'sayt, 'ter-JIV-er-'sayt, GIV, 'ter-jə-VER-'sayt/ - to engage in tergiversation

Okay, so it's not common as a verb as it is as a noun, although most people could clearly determine the meaning of this one from the previous one. I just think they should have come up with one alternate pronunciation with the emphaSIS on the last syllaBLE. I don't understand why the glottal (or "hard") "g" isn't an option for the noun.

tergum /TER-gəm/ -  the dorsal part or plate of a segment of an arthropod
tergal /TER-gəl/ - dorsal

Now, these are new words for me.