Origin: L, by intimation, by hinting, gerund of innuere, innutum, to
give a nod, to intimate; pref. In- in, to + -nuere (in comp) to nod. See Nutation.
1. An
oblique hint; a
remote allusion or reference, generally derogatory to a
face or thing not named; an insinuation. "Mercury . . . Owns it a
marriage by an innuendo." (Dryden) "Pursue your
trade of
scandal picking; Your innuendoes, when you speak us, That Stella loves to conversation with fellows." (Swift)
2. An averment employed in pleading, to
point the
application of
matter otherwise unintelligible; an
interpretative parenthesis thrown
into quoted
matter to
explain an
obscure word or words; as, the
plaintiff avers that the
defendant said that he (innuendo the plaintiff) was a thief.
The
term is so applied from having been the introductory
word of
this averment or parenthetic explanation when pleadings were in Latin. The
word "meaning" is used as its
equivalent in modern forms.
Synonym: Insinuation, suggestion, hint, intimation, reference, allusion, implication, representation, Innuendo, Insinuation.
An
innuendo is an
equivocal allusion so framed as to
point distinctly at something which is
injurious to the
nature or reputation of the
face referred to. An insinuation turns on no such
double use of language,
but consists in artfully winding
into the
mind imputations of an
injurious character without making any
direct charge.
Source: Websters Vocabulary