even
pronunciation
How to pronounce even in British English:
UK [ˈiːvn]
How to pronounce even in American English:
US [ˈiːvn]
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- Verb:
- make level or straight
- become even or more even
- make even or more even
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- Adjective:
- divisible by two
- equal in degree or extent or amount; or equally matched or balanced
- being level or straight or regular and without variation as e.g. in shape or texture; or being in the same plane or at the same height as something else (i.e. even with)
- symmetrically arranged
- occurring at fixed intervals
- of the score in a contest
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- Adverb:
- used as an intensive especially to indicate something unexpected
- in spite of; notwithstanding
- to a greater degree or extent; used with comparisons
- to the full extent
Word Origin
- even
- even: [OE] Even can be traced back to a prehistoric Germanic *ebnaz, although it is not clear whether it meant originally ‘flat, level’ or ‘equal, alike’ (both strands of meaning are still present in the word, the latter in such expressions as ‘get even with’ and ‘even number’, and also in its various adverbial uses, the former in ‘even keel’, ‘even light’, etc)
- even (adj.)
- Old English efen "level," also "equal, like; calm, harmonious; equally; quite, fully; namely," from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz (cognates: Old Saxon eban, Old Frisian even "level, plain, smooth," Dutch even, Old High German eban, German eben, Old Norse jafn, Danish jævn, Gothic ibns). The adverb is Old English efne "exactly, just, likewise." Modern adverbial sense (introducing an extreme case of something more generally implied) seems to have arisen 16c. from use of the word to emphasize identity ("Who, me?" "Even you"). Etymologists are uncertain whether the original sense was "level" or "alike." Used extensively in Old English compounds, with a sense of "fellow, co-" (as in efeneald "of the same age;" Middle English even-sucker "foster-brother"). Of numbers, from 1550s. Sense of "on an equal footing" is from 1630s. Rhyming reduplication phrase even steven is attested from 1866; even break (n.) first recorded 1907. Even-tempered from 1712. To get even with "retaliate upon" is attested by 1833.
- even (v.)
- Old English efnan "to make even, to make level; liken, compare" (see even (adj.)). Intransitive sense of "become even" is attested from early 13c. Related: Evened; evening.
- even (n.)
- "end of the day," Old English æfen, Mercian efen, Northumbrian efern (see eve).
Example
- 1. Some companies go even further .
- 2. Other companies go even further .
- 3. That could even include microsoft .
- 4. He even curses the devil .
- 5. Even basic lodging is expensive .