Equivoque
/ˈɛkwɪvəʊk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A homonym. obsolete
- 2 A play on words, a pun.
"[H]e sported in many other æquivoques of the same nature; and at dinner told the physician, that he was like the root of the tongue, as being cursedly down in the mouth."
- 3 Ambiguity or double meaning.
"[T]he black wisps of women bargaining behind those veils might turn out to be the ballet and coalesce in some dance gaily admitting their equivoque of concealing and proclaiming their sex."
Adjective
- 1 Equivocal. obsolete
Example
More examples"[H]e sported in many other æquivoques of the same nature; and at dinner told the physician, that he was like the root of the tongue, as being cursedly down in the mouth."
Etymology
From Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”), from Latin aequus (“equal”) + vocō (“call”).