Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who temporizes; one who yields to the time or complies with the prevailing opinions, fashions, or occasions; a trimmer; a time-server. Also spelled temporiser.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One who temporizes; one who yields to the time, or complies with the prevailing opinions, fashions, or occasions; a trimmer.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A person who temporizes

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone who temporizes; someone who tries to gain time or who waits for a favorable time

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • Not that he could fairly be called a temporizer, for deep down in him there was undoubtedly a vein of obstinate, fundamental loyalty to the traditions of a caste which prized high spirit beyond all things.

    The Patrician John Galsworthy 1900

  • Not that he could fairly be called a temporizer, for deep down in him there was undoubtedly a vein of obstinate, fundamental loyalty to the traditions of

    Complete Project Gutenberg John Galsworthy Works John Galsworthy 1900

  • The defence is timely, and it is a question if even now, since its publication, the majority of colored people will have their opinion that Miss Willard is a "temporizer" materially altered.

    The Woman's Era, Vol. 2 1895

  • The defence is timely, and it is a question if even now, since its publication, the majority of colored people will have their opinion that Miss Willard is a "temporizer" materially altered.

    The Woman's Era Vol. 2 No. 4 1895

  • The defence is timely, and it is a question if even now, since its publication, the majority of colored people will have their opinion that Miss Willard is a "temporizer" materially altered.

    Editorial. 1895

  • Lavim did not consider himself a liar, or even a temporizer.

    Stormblade Berberick, Nancy Varian 1988

  • In the East, the Anomoeans turned almost as a matter of course to Acacius of Caesarea, whose influence was growing stronger at court and who was felt to be a shrewd and not too scrupulous temporizer.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1: Aachen-Assize 1840-1916 1913

  • Does it see what finally befalls, and has always finally befallen, each temporizer, patcher, outsider, partialist, alarmist, infidel, who has ever ask’d anything of America?

    As I Sat Alone by Blue Ontario’s Shores 1900

  • The action of Miss Florence Belgarnic at the recent World's W.C.T.U. convention in London will always stand out as one of conspicuous bravery, and the fact that she stood alone proves nothing so much as that Miss Willard is a great leader as well as what we claim for her -- a great temporizer in matters pertaining to southern sentiment.

    Club Notes. 1895

  • The action of Miss Florence Belgarnic at the recent World's W.C.T.U. convention in London will always stand out as one of conspicuous bravery, and the fact that she stood alone proves nothing so much as that Miss Willard is a great leader as well as what we claim for her -- a great temporizer in matters pertaining to southern sentiment.

    The Woman's Era, Vol. 2 1895

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