praevārĭcātor, ōris, m. [praevaricor],
- I. one who violates his duty; esp. of an advocate who is guilty of collusion with the opposite party, a sham accuser or defender, a prevaricator (class.): praevaricatores a praetergrediendo sunt vocitati, Paul. ex Fest. p. 226 Müll.: praevaricator significat eum, qui in contrariis causis quasi varie esse positus videatur, Cic. Part. 36, 126: praevaricatorem esse eum ostendimus, qui colludit cum reo, et translaticie munere accusandi defungitur, eo quod proprias quidem probationes dissimularet, falsas vero rei excusationes admitteret, Dig. 48, 16, 1: praevaricator autem est quasi varicator, qui diversam partem adjuvat, prodita causa sua, ib. 3, 2, 4; Cic. Div. in Caecil. 18, 58: praevaricatorem sibi apponere, id. Phil. 2, 11, 25.
With gen.: praevaricator Catilinae, Cic. Pis. 10, 23: causae publicae, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 1.
- II. A sinner, transgressor (eccl. Lat.): legis, Vulg. Rom. 2, 25; id. Gal. 2, 18.
- B. Esp., an apostate: nos praevaricatores eos existimamus qui susceptam fidem et cognitionem Dei adeptam relinquunt, Hilar. in Psa. 118, 15, 11: Dei, Lact. 2, 16; cf. Tert. ad Marc. 4, 43.