Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PAL'TER, v.i. [probably allied to faulter or falter, W. pallu, Eng. fail; Sp. and Port. faltar, to want, to fail, to miss, to balk, to come short. See Fail and Pall.]

To shift; to dodge; to play tricks. – Johnson. Rather, to fail; to come short; to balk. Romans, that have spoke the word / And wilt not palter. – Shak.