I. ˈē-vən noun
Etymology: Middle English even, eve, from Old English ǣfen
Date: before 12th century
archaic : evening
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English efen; akin to Old High German eban even
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : having a horizontal surface : flat
even ground
b. : being without break, indentation, or irregularity : smooth
c. : being in the same plane or line
2.
a. : free from variation : uniform
his disposition was even
b. : level 4
3.
a. : equal , fair
an even exchange
b.
(1) : leaving nothing due on either side : square
we will not be even until you repay my visit
(2) : fully revenged
c. : being in equilibrium : balanced ; specifically : showing neither profit nor loss
d. obsolete : candid
4.
a. : being any of the integers (as -2, 0, and +2) that are exactly divisible by two
b. : marked by an even number
c. : being a mathematical function such that f(x) = f(-x) where the value remains unchanged if the sign of the independent variable is reversed
5. : exact , precise
an even dollar
6. : as likely as not : fifty-fifty
an even chance of winning
Synonyms: see level , steady
• even·ly adverb
• even·ness -vən-nəs noun
•
- on an even keel
III. adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English efne, from efen, adjective
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : exactly , precisely
b. : to a degree that extends : fully , quite
faithful even unto death
c. : at the very time
raining even as the sun came out
2.
a. — used as an intensive to emphasize the identity or character of something
he looked content, even happy
forgot his car keys and even left the engine running
b. — used as an intensive to stress an extreme or highly unlikely condition or instance
so simple even a child can do it
c. — used as an intensive to stress the comparative degree
she did even better
d. — used as an intensive to indicate a small or minimum amount
didn't even try
IV. verb
( evened ; even·ing ˈēv-niŋ, ˈē-və-)
Date: 13th century
transitive verb
: to make even
intransitive verb
: to become even
• even·er -nər noun