释义 |
even1 /ˈiːv(ə)n /adjective (evener, evenest)1Flat and smooth: prepare the site, then lay an even bed of mortar...- St Tropez is tinted so the therapist can easily see where she is applying it and it makes for an even application.
- This provides an even surface for pedestrians, which minimises tripping hazards.
- In the boot, the rear wheel arches should have a clean look and an even coat of paint.
Synonyms flat, smooth, uniform, featureless, unbroken, undamaged, unwrinkled; level, levelled, plane, flush, true informal (as) flat as a pancake technical planar rare homaloidal 1.1In the same plane or line; level: run a file along the saw to make all of the teeth even with each other...- Add the potato slices in an even layer and cook gently for about 12 minutes until softened.
- It took every speck of willpower and strength she had to force them back to an even position.
2Equal in number, amount, or value: an even gender balance among staff and students...- Those officers are drawn from all ranks and an even spread from all areas of the county.
- The skeletons show an even spread of the representative population at that time.
- In most transgenic lines, an even fluorescence signal was observed in all tissues and organs.
Synonyms level, drawn, tied, all square, balanced, on a par, on an equal footing; neck and neck, nip and tuck, with nothing to choose between them; British level pegging informal even-steven(s) 2.1Equally balanced: the first half of the match was fairly even...- In some situations you may need to turn your plant a quarter of a turn each day to ensure an even spread of light.
- The first half saw the sides on an even footing with good defending on both sides.
- Then a quick break by the visitors saw them clinch the points, but the scoreline did not reflect an even game.
Synonyms equal, the same, much the same, identical, like, alike, similar, to the same degree, comparable, commensurate, corresponding, parallel, on a par, on an equal footing, evenly matched informal even-steven(s) 2.2Having little variation in quality; regular: they travelled at an even and leisurely pace...- Add the olive oil in a thin stream and whisk the mixture until it forms an even consistency.
- To his credit Cill Dara referee John Downey was well on top of every move and kept an even hand on the game.
- Achieving an even skin tone is another protracted beauty process that many of us could do without.
Synonyms uniform, constant, steady, stable, consistent, changeless, unvarying, unchanging, unwavering, unfluctuating, unaltering, regular 2.3(Of a person’s temper or disposition) equable; calm: she was known to have an even temper and to be difficult to rileSynonyms even-tempered, well balanced, stable, equable, placid, serene, calm, composed, poised, tranquil, cool, {cool, calm, and collected}, cool-headed, relaxed, easy, imperturbable, unexcitable, unruffled, unflustered, unagitated, unworried, untroubled, unbothered informal together, laid-back, unflappable, unfazed rare equanimous 3(Of a number, such as 2, 6, or 108) divisible by two without a remainder: a meter that reads only in even numbers any number doubled is even...- The oblique case of an even number had to be put into the subject position so that standard arguments could be used.
- It is true precisely when the values for the three switches add up to an even number.
- In the case of an even number, parts of the wave travel at all speeds less than or equal to the fundamental speed.
3.1Bearing a number that is divisible by two without a remainder: headers can be placed on odd or even pages or both...- Students who enrolled at the school in even-numbered years between 1816 and 1830 had two years of Cauchy's instruction.
- That's equivalent to labeling each card randomly with a number from 1 to 20, then collecting into piles the cards with the same number, taking care to reverse the order of even-numbered piles.
- The lections from the Gospels go unchanged for an alternating two years but are preceded by a reading from the First Testament different in Years I and II, the odd- and even-numbered years respectively.
verbMake or become even: [with object]: she cut the hair again to even up the ends it’s not exactly revenge I want, but I’d like things evened up [no object]: thereafter prices evened out...- Our busiest months used to be during the winter but now it has evened out.
- I didn't know what to do so I just waited it out, and pretty soon the rest of my body grew into the changes and I eventually evened out.
- They evened up their playing record in the League on Saturday when they went down to Doncaster - their sixth defeat of the season from twelve games played.
Synonyms flatten, make flat, make level, level, level off, level out, smooth, smooth out, smooth off, make flush, plane, make uniform, make regular equalize, make equal, make even, make level, level up, make the same, balance, square; make uniform, make comparable, standardize, regularize rare equilibrize adverb1Used to emphasize something surprising or extreme: they have never even heard of the United States they wore fur hats, even in summer...- People might not realise water can be extremely cold even on a warm summer day.
- He surprised even some of his closest colleagues by accepting the job many regard as a poisoned chalice.
- Our willingness to show up for this event seems to have surprised even ourselves.
Synonyms surprisingly, unexpectedly, paradoxically, though it may seem strange, believe it or not, as it happens 1.1Used in comparisons for emphasis: he knows even less about it than I do...- It will not be easy, which places even greater emphasis on the world's best cricketer.
- Notwithstanding the personal tragedy here there is now even less emphasis on the original issue.
- In the 1960s there was an even greater shift in emphasis to viticultural research.
Synonyms still, yet, more so, all the more, all the greater, to a greater extent Phraseseven as an even break an even chance even if even now (or then) even so even though get (or be) even of even date on an even keel Derivativesevenness /ˈiːv(ə)nnəs / noun ...- Balanced sonorities and evenness of metre direct listeners on a course of undiminishing grandeur that leads naturally to calmness in repose.
- However, our findings indicate that evenness is relatively uniform for all vegetative layers along the elevation gradient.
- The ideal colour is defined by personal taste, but evenness and consistency go straight to the goal of unhindered reading.
OriginOld English efen (adjective), efne (adverb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch even, effen and German eben. In the sense ‘flat and smooth’, even is an Old English word. Even as in evening (Old English) is from a different Old English word, one related to German Abend ‘afternoon’. An even break, meaning ‘a fair chance’, was popularized by the American comedian W. C. Fields (1886–1946) in his catchphrase, ‘Never give a sucker an even break’, which itself went on to become the title of one of his best-known films. There does not seem to have been a real Stephen behind the phrase even Stephen or even Stephens, meaning ‘completely even or equal’. It probably comes from Journal to Stella by Jonathan Swift: ‘Now we are even, quoth Stephen’ (1711). If a ship is on an even keel it is not tilting to the side. The keel is the supporting structure along the base of a ship; even here it is in the old sense ‘in a level position, horizontal’.
RhymesSivan, Steven even2 /ˈiːv(ə)n /noun archaic or literaryThe end of the day; evening: bring it to my house this even OriginOld English ǣfen, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch avont and German Abend. Even3 /eɪˈvɛn /noun (plural same)1A member of an indigenous people living in the Kamchatka peninsula of eastern Siberia. 2 [mass noun] The language of the Even, a Tungusic language with about 6,000 speakers, closely related to Evenki. adjectiveRelating to the Even or their language. |