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Webster 1913 Edition

Even

E′ven

(ēv′’n)
Noun.
[OE.
eve
,
even
,
efen
,
æfen
. AS.
ǣfen
; akin to OS.
āband
, OFries,
āvend
, D.
avond
, OHG.
āband
, Icel.
aptan
, Sw.
afton
, Dan.
aften
; of unknown origin. Cf.
Eve
,
Evening
.]
Evening. See
Eve
,
Noun.
1.
[Poetic.]
Shak.

E′ven

,
Adj.
[AS.
efen
.
efn
; akin to OS.
eban
, D.
even
, OHG.
eban
, G.
efen
, Icel.
jafn
, Dan.
jevn
, Sw.
jämn
, Goth.
ibns
. Cf.
Anent
,
Ebb
.]
1.
Level, smooth, or equal in surface; not rough; free from irregularities; hence uniform in rate of motion of action;
as,
even
ground; an
even
speed; an
even
course of conduct.
2.
Equable; not easily ruffled or disturbed; calm; uniformly self-possessed;
as, an
even
temper
.
3.
Parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit.
And shall lay thee
even
with the ground.
Luke xix. 44.
4.
Balanced; adjusted; fair; equitable; impartial; just to both sides; owing nothing on either side; – said of accounts, bargains, or persons indebted;
as, our accounts are
even
; an
even
bargain.
To make the
even
truth in pleasure flow.
Shakespeare
5.
Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure.
“I know my life so even.”
Shak.
6.
Associate; fellow; of the same condition.
[Obs.]
“His even servant.”
Wyclif (Matt. xviii. 29).
7.
Not odd; capable of division by two without a remainder; – said of numbers;
as, 4 and 10 are
even
numbers
.
Whether the number of the stars is
even
or odd.
Jer. Taylor.
On even ground
,
with equal advantage.
–
On even keel
(Naut.)
,
in a level or horizontal position.

E′ven

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Evened
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Evening
]
1.
To make even or level; to level; to lay smooth.
His temple Xerxes
evened
with the soil.
Sir. W. Raleigh.
It will
even
all inequalities
Evelyn.
2.
To equal.
[Obs.]
“To even him in valor.”
Fuller.
3.
To place in an equal state, as to obligation, or in a state in which nothing is due on either side; to balance, as accounts; to make quits; to make equal;
as, to
even
the score
.
Shak.
4.
To set right; to complete.
5.
To act up to; to keep pace with.
Shak.

E′ven

,
Verb.
I.
To be equal.
[Obs.]
R. Carew.

E′ven

,
adv.
[AS.
efne
. See
Even
,
Adj.
, and cf.
E’en
.]
1.
In an equal or precisely similar manner; equally; precisely; just; likewise; as well.
“Is it even so?”
Shak.
Even
so did these Gauls possess the coast.
Spenser.
2.
Up to, or down to, an unusual measure or level; so much as; fully; quite.
Thou wast a soldier
Even
to Cato's wish.
Shakespeare
Without . . . making us
even
sensible of the change.
Swift.
3.
As might not be expected; – serving to introduce what is unexpected or less expected.
I have made several discoveries, which appear new,
even
to those who are versed in critical learning.
Addison.
4.
At the very time; in the very case.
I knew they were bad enough to please,
even
when I wrote them.
Dryden.
☞ Even is sometimes used to emphasize a word or phrase. “I have debated even in my soul.”
Shak.
By these presence,
even
the presence of Lord Mortimer.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Even

E'VEN

Definition 2024

Even

Even

See also: even, éven, and even-

English

Proper noun

Even

  1. A Tungusic language spoken by the Evens in Siberia.

Norwegian

Proper noun

Even

  1. A male given name, variant of Eivind.

even

even

See also: Even, éven, and even-

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

even ‎(comparative more even, superlative most even)

  1. Flat and level.
    Clear out those rocks. The surface must be even.
  2. Without great variation.
    Despite her fear, she spoke in an even voice.
  3. Equal in proportion, quantity, size, etc.
    The distribution of food must be even.
  4. (not comparable, of an integer) Divisible by two.
    Four, fourteen and forty are even numbers.
  5. (of a number) Convenient for rounding other numbers to; for example, ending in a zero.
    • 1989, Jerry Sterner, Other People's Money, Act I:
      Coles. How many shares have you bought, Mr. Garfinkle?
      Garfinkle. One hundred and ninety-six thousand. […]
      Jorgenson. […] How'd you figure out to buy such an odd amount? Why not two hundred thousand — nice even number. Thought you liked nice even numbers.
    • 1998, Marya Hornbacher, Wasted, chapter 8, 1999 HarperPerennial paperback edition, ISBN 0060930934, page 253 :
      He put me on the scale in my underwear and socks: 82 pounds. […] I left, humming all day long, remembering that once upon a time my ideal weight had been 84, and now I'd even beaten that. I decided 80 was a better number, a nice even number to be.
  6. On equal monetary terms; neither owing or being owed.
  7. (colloquial) On equal terms of a moral sort; quits.
    You biffed me back at the barn, and I biffed you here—so now we're even.
  8. parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit
    • Bible, Luke xix. 44
      And shall lay thee even with the ground.
  9. (obsolete) Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure.
    • Shakespeare
      I know my life so even.
  10. (obsolete) Associate; fellow; of the same condition.
    • Wyclif (Matt.)
      His even servant.
Usage notes
  • Because of confusion with the "divisible by two" sense, use of even to mean "convenient for rounding" is rare; the synonym round is more common.
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • (flat and level): uneven
  • (of an integer): odd
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

even ‎(third-person singular simple present evens, present participle evening, simple past and past participle evened)

  1. (transitive) To make flat and level.
    We need to even this playing field; the west goal is too low.
    • Sir Walter Raleigh
      His temple Xerxes evened with the soil.
    • Evelyn
      It will even all inequalities.
  2. (transitive, obsolete) To equal.
    • Fuller
      to even him in valour
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) To be equal.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of R. Carew to this entry?)
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To place in an equal state, as to obligation, or in a state in which nothing is due on either side; to balance, as accounts; to make quits.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
  5. (transitive, obsolete) To set right; to complete.
  6. (transitive, obsolete) To act up to; to keep pace with.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
Synonyms

(to make flat and level): flatten, level

Derived terms
Translations

Adverb

even ‎(not comparable)

  1. (archaic) Exactly, just, fully.
    I fulfilled my instructions even as I had promised.  You are leaving tonight? — Even so.  This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.‎
  2. In reality; implying an extreme example in the case mentioned, as compared to the implied reality.
    Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn sometimes.  Did you even make it through the front door?  That was before I was even born.‎
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 1, in The Celebrity:
      He used to drop into my chambers once in a while to smoke, and was first-rate company. When I gave a dinner there was generally a cover laid for him. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me.
    • 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterII:
      Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, […]. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
      He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.
    • 2013 June 29, “Unspontaneous combustion”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 29:
      Since the mid-1980s, when Indonesia first began to clear its bountiful forests on an industrial scale in favour of lucrative palm-oil plantations, “haze” has become an almost annual occurrence in South-East Asia. The cheapest way to clear logged woodland is to burn it, producing an acrid cloud of foul white smoke that, carried by the wind, can cover hundreds, or even thousands, of square miles.
  3. Emphasizing a comparative.
    I was strong before; but now I am even stronger.‎
  4. (ironic) Signalling a correction of one's previous utterance. Rather.
    My favorite actor is Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicholson, even.‎
Usage notes

See Talk:even#Usage note on Etymology 2

Derived terms
Translations

References

  1. ↑ Schaffner, Stefan (2000). “Altindisch amnás, urgermanisch *eƀna-, kelt. *eμno-.” In: Indoarisch, Iranisch und die Indogermanistik. Akten des Kolloquiums der Indogermanischen Gesellschaft vom 2. bis 5. Oktober 1997 in Erlangen, Forssman, Bernhard & Plath, Robert (eds.), Wiesbaden, pp. 491–505. In German.

Noun

even ‎(plural evens)

  1. (mathematics, diminutive) An even number.
So let's see. There are two evens here and three odds.
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English even, from Old English ǣfen, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs. Cognate with Dutch avond, Low German Avend, German Abend, Danish aften. See also the related terms eve and evening.

Noun

even ‎(plural evens)

  1. (archaic or poetic) Evening.
    • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Matthew ch. 8:
      When the even was come they brought unto him many that were possessed with devylles [...].
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: long · am · way · #122: even · say · well · many

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -eːvən
  • IPA(key): /ˈeː.və(n)/

Etymology

From Middle Dutch even, effen, from Old Dutch *evan, from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz. Compare Low German even, German eben, English even, Danish jævn.

Adverb

even

  1. shortly, briefly
    Ik zal even voor u kijken.‎
    I shall have a look for you shortly.
  2. for a short period, for a while
    In de tweede helft van de 19e eeuw bloeide Vollenhove weer even op.‎
    In the second half of the 19th century, Vollenhove flourished again for a while.
  3. for a moment; modal particle indicating that the speaker expects that something will require little time or effort.
    Zou je even de deur voor me dicht willen doen?‎
    Could you please close the door for me (for a moment)?
  4. just as, to the same degree (used with an adjective)
    In het midden van de vloer stond een tafel van wel vier meter hoog en een even grote stoel er bij.‎
    In the middle of the floor there stood a four-metre tall table and a chair just as large beside it.
  5. (Netherlands) quite, rather
    Die is even kwaad!‎
    He's rather angry!

Synonyms

Adjective

even ‎(not comparable)

  1. even, opposite of odd

Inflection

Inflection of even
uninflected even
inflected even
comparative —
positive
predicative/adverbial even
indefinite m./f. sing. even
n. sing. even
plural even
definite even
partitive evens

Antonyms

Derived terms

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English even, from Old English efen, efn, emn ‎(“even, equal, like, level, just, impartial, true”), from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz ‎(“flat, level, even; equal, straight”), from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)emno- ‎(“equal, straight; flat, level, even”). Cognate with West Frisian even ‎(“even”), Low German even ‎(“even”), Dutch even ‎(“even, equal, same”), effen, German eben ‎(“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn ‎(“even, flat, smooth”), Swedish jämn ‎(“even, level, smooth”), Icelandic jafn, jamn ‎(“even, equal”), Old Cornish eun ‎(“equal, right”) (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic ‎(“iustus, i. e., just”)), Old Breton eun ‎(“equal, right”) (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt ‎(“aequus, i. e., equal”)), Middle Breton effn, Breton eeun, Sanskrit अस्नस् ‎(amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”).

The verb descends from Old English efnan; the adverb from Old English efne.

The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *(H)aim-, *h₂eim-, *(H)iem- ‎(“similarity, resemblance”) (Latin imāgō ‎(“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus ‎(“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit यमस् ‎(yamás, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view.[1]

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈiːvən/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈivən/, /ˈivn̩/
  • Rhymes: -iːvən
  • Hyphenation: e‧ven

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