v., dodged, dodg·ing, dodg·es. v.tr.
- To avoid (a blow, for example) by moving or shifting quickly aside.
- To evade (an obligation, for example) by cunning, trickery, or deceit: kept dodging the reporter's questions.
- To blunt or reduce the intensity of (a section of a photograph) by shading during the printing process.
- To move aside or in a given direction by shifting or twisting suddenly: The child dodged through the crowd.
- To practice trickery or cunning; prevaricate.
- The act of dodging.
- An ingenious expedient intended to evade or trick. See synonyms at wile.
[Origin unknown.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
