Contents -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class V. Words Releasing to the Voluntary Powers
Division (I) Individual Volition
Section I. Volition in General
2. Causes of Volition

617. [Ostensible Motive, Ground, or Reason.] Plea.

   NOUN:PLEA, pretext; allegation, advocation [archaic]; ostensible -motive, – ground, – reason; excuse (vindication) [See Vindication]; color; gloss, guise.
  handle, peg to hang on; room, locus standi [L.]; stalking-horse, cheval de bataille [F.], cue.
  LOOPHOLE, starting-hole [obs.]; hole to creep out of, come-off [colloq.], way of escape.
  PRETENSE (untruth) [See Untruth]; put-off, subterfuge, dust thrown in the eye; blind; moonshine; mere -, shallow- pretext; lame -excuse, – apology; tub to a whale; false plea, sour grapes; makeshift, shift, white lie; special pleading (sophistry) [See Intuition. Sophistry]; soft sawder [slang] (flattery) [See Flattery].
   VERB:PLEAD, allege; shelter oneself under the plea of; creep out of; tell a white lie; excuse (vindicate) [See Vindication]; color, gloss over, lend a color to; furnish a handle &c. n.; make a pretext of, make a handle of; use as a plea &c. n.; take one’s stand upon, make capital out of; pretend (lie) [See Falsehood].
   ADJECTIVE:advocatory [rare], excusing; OSTENSIBLE (manifest) [See Manifestation]; alleged, apologetic; pretended [See Deception].
   ADVERB:OSTENSIBLY; under the plea of, under the pretense of.