even-
(in early combs. repr. OTeut. stem *eƀno-, sometimes with adjectival, sometimes with adverbial force; in later use, combining directly as adj. or adv.). The forms are identical with those of the adj., but in ME. the -n was often omitted.
1. In various senses of the adj. Chiefly in parasynthetic derivatives, as † even-carriaged, even-edged, even-handed, even-tempered, even-toed, † even-wayed; also in even-aged a., of a forest: composed of trees that are of approximately the same age; even-even a., of a nucleus: having an even number of both protons and neutrons; even-odd a., of a nucleus: having an even number of protons and an odd number of neutrons; even-wise adv., in like manner.
| 1905 Terms Forestry (U.S. Dept. Agric.) 9 *Even-aged forest. 1928 R. S. Troup Silvicultural Systems ii. 23 Even-aged crops..are more susceptible to damage by wind and snow than uneven-aged crops. 1962 Times 1 Jan. 6/4 Trees in even-aged woods had gone down in swathes. |
| 1670 Brooks Wks. (1867) VI. 342 Upright hearts in their constant course are *even-carriaged hearts. |
| 1672 Grew Anat. Plants, Idea Philos. Hist. §6 Leaves, which are Long or Round, *Even-edg'd or Escallop'd. |
| 1940 Physical Rev. LVIII. 104/1 States with higher angular momenta of the core alone (an *even-even nucleus) are known in many cases to be very close to the normal state. 1949 Gamow & Critchfield Theory Atomic Nucleus iv. 93 An even-even nucleus can transform into another even-even nucleus of the same A only by simultaneous emission of two β-particles. 1955 J. A. Wheeler in W. Pauli Niels Bohr 167 Heavy even-even nuclei always have zero spin. |
| a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia s.v., An *even-flavoured day of rain. |
| 1605 Shakes. Macb. i. vii. 10 This *euen-handed Iustice Commends th'Ingredience of our poyson'd Challice To our owne lips. 1879 Froude Cæsar xviii. 305 Pompey's justice was even-handed. |
| 1849 J. F. W. Johnston Exper. Agriculture 120 To the..*even-numbered portions, nothing was applied. |
| 1955 U.N. Provisional Gloss. Atomic Energy 82 *Even-odd nucleus. 1966 Phillips & Williams Inorg. Chem. II. xxxv. 627 Two hundred and one beta-stable nuclides contain an even number of protons and an even number of neutrons, sixty-nine are even-odd, i.e. contain an even number of protons and an odd number of neutrons. |
| 1875 Farrar Seekers iii. i. 267 Controlled, modest, faithful, and *even-tempered. |
| 1854 Owen in Circ. Sc. (c 1865) II. 79/2 This..family of ‘artiodactyle’ or *even-toed beasts. 1670 Narborough in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. (1711) 64 These People..are smooth and even toothed and close set and very white. |
| 1645 Quarles Sol. Recant. v. 84 This unlevells Thy *even-way'd Peace, with indigested evills. 1865 Swinburne Poems & Bal., Two Dreams 78 Love..Tuned evenwise with colours musical. |
† 2. Prefixed to
ns. with the sense ‘fellow-’, L.
co-, as in
even-disciple,
even-servant,
even-worker;
even-knight,
transl. of L.
commilito fellow-soldier;
even-next, ‘neighbour’ (in Biblical sense);
even-sucker, a foster-brother;
even-Christian. On the analogy of these,
even- renders L.
co- in
even-buying,
transl. of L.
coemptio purchase.
Obs. This formation was common in
OE.; examples of later origin chiefly occur in Wyclif.
| 1382 Wyclif 2 Macc. viii. 11 *Euyn byinge [1388 euen-biyng] of boonde men of Jewis. |
| ― John xi. 16 Thomas..seide to *euen disciplis, And go we. |
| ― Phil. ii. 25 Epaphrodite, my brothir and *euene worchere, and myn *euene knyȝt. |
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 13 Uwil(c)mon scal his *euenexta beodan alswa he walde þet me him bude. |
| 1382 Wyclif Rev. xix. 10, I am thin *euen seruaunt, and of thi britheren. [1388 Y am a seruaunt with thee]. |
| ― 2 Macc. ix. 29 Philip, his *euen souker [1388 euene soukere] transferride the body. |
3. In senses of the
adv. † a. = ‘Equally’, ‘similarly’, as in
even-clad ppl. adj.,
even-high,
even-mighty,
even-rich,
even-right,
even-worth,
even-worthy adjs.; also
even-eche a., co-eternal;
evenmete, evenold.
b. = ‘Evenly’, as in
even-pleached,
even-set,
even-spun.
† c. With quasi-prepositional sense, in
even-deed adv., according to fact, indeed.
d. Straight, directly; see even-down, -forth.
| 1622 T. Scott Belg. Pismire 81 The only glory is to be gay, and the greatest shame to be under-clad or *euen-clad to our callings. |
| 1555 Inst. Gentleman (1568) I vij, He whyche is the rycher man doth seeme to dooe wronge vnto the other, although *euen deede he haue the wronge doone vnto hym. |
| a 1000 Crist 465 (Gr.) ær ðon up stiᵹe ancenned sunn, *Efenece bearn aᵹnum fæder. c 1000 ælfric Hom. (1846) II. 598 ælmihtiᵹa God, þu ðe þurh ðinum euenecum Wisdome mannan ᵹesceope. c 1200 Ormin 18582 He naffde nohht ben aȝȝ Hiss Faderr æfenneche. |
| a 1000 Dial. Devil & Recluse in Kemble Sal. & Sat. (1848) 85 He dyde hine *efenheahne Gode. c 1200 Ormin 15720 Crist iss Godess Sune..& wiþþ hiss Faderr efennheh. |
| Ibid. 18571 *Efennmahhtiȝ Godd wiþþ himm [þe Faderr]. |
| 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, v. ii. 42 Her [France's] Hedges *euen pleach'd..Put forth disorder'd Twigs. |
| c 890 K. ælfred Bæda v. x, Wæron hi eft *efenrice. c 1200 Ormin 11868 Teȝȝ shulenn wurrþenn þær Wiþþ enngless efennrike. |
| 1382 Wyclif Ecclus. xlix. 3 He is *euene riȝt [L. directus] godly in the penauance of folc. |
| 1647 H. More Song of Soul i. ii. lx, A lower rank on either side we saw Of lesser shrubs *even-set with artifice. |
| 1645 Quarles Sol. Recant. vi. 75 If the *even-spun Twine should be extended. |
| 1388 Wyclif Job xxviii. 19 Topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad *euene worth to wisdom. |
| c 1380 ― Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 323 Suffringis of þis tyme ben not *even-worþi to þe glorie þat is to come. 1482 Monk of Evesham (Arb.) 44 Y..dyd not for my synnys euynworthy penans. |