Ter"gal (?), a. [L. tergum the back.] (Anat. & Zoöl.) Of or pertaining
to back, or tergum. See Dorsal.
Ter"gant (?), a. (Her.) Showing the back; as, the eagle tergant.
[Written also tergiant.]
{ Ter*gem"i*nal (?), Ter*gem"i*nate (?), } a. [See Tergeminous.] (Bot.)
Thrice twin; having three pairs of leaflets.
Ter*gem"i*nous (?), a. [L. tergeminus; ter thrice + geminus doubled at
birth, twin-born. Cf. Trigeminous.] Threefold; thrice-paired. Blount.
Ter*gif"er*ous (?), a. [L. tergum the back + -ferous.] Carrying or
bearing upon the back.
Tergiferous plants (Bot.), plants which bear their seeds on the back of
their leaves, as ferns.
Ter"gite (?), n. (Zoöl.) The dorsal portion of an arthromere or somite
of an articulate animal. See Illust. under Coleoptera.
Ter"gi*ver*sate (?), v. i. [L. tergiversatus, p. p. of tergiversari to
turn one's back, to shift; tergum back + versare, freq. of vertere to
turn. See Verse.] To shift; to practice evasion; to use subterfuges; to
shuffle. [R.] Bailey.
Ter`gi*ver*sa"tion (?), n. [L. tergiversario: cf. F. tergiversation.]
1. The act of tergiversating; a shifting; shift; subterfuge; evasion.
Writing is to be preferred before verbal conferences, as being freer
from passions and tergiversations.
Abp. Bramhall.