▪ I. † ˈevene, n. Obs.
Also 3 efne, efene.
[ME. efne, evene, ad. ON. efni material, pl. ability, OSw. æfni (Sw. æmna stuff, Da. evne ability).]
1. Material; subject-matter.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 335 (Cott.) Of himself he toke his euen þat he of wroght bath erth and heuen. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. clxxxii, Quhat nedis me, apoun so litill evyn, To writt all this? |
2. a. Nature; form or shape. b. Natural powers.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 137 Þe heuenliche þremnesse was mid him þo he fulcnede ure helende. Þe fader on stefne. Þe sunne on mannes efene. Þe holi gost on culures hewe. a 1225 Ancr. R. 126 Ancre..ouhte leden herd lif, ase dude þe lefdi Iudit, efter hire efne. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 57 Euchan bi his euene..wurðschipede his maumez. c 1230 Hali Meid. 43 Ha cwikede of cleane cunde, as is in engles euene. Ibid. 43 A charbucle is betere þen a iacinct iþe euene of hare cunde. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 187 He mot scottin efne after his euene. c 1325 Pol. Songs (1839) 157 Somenours..Mys motinde men alle by here evene. |
▪ II. † eˈvene, v. Obs.
[ad. L. ēven-īre to come out, happen, f. ē- out + venīre to come.]
intr. To come to pass, happen, result.
| 1654 tr. Scudery's Curia Pol. 106 He must necessarily have his particular interest, besides the publique, which cannot but evene and happen on many occasions. 1663 Flagellum, or O. Cromwell (1872) 89 The Scotch War now evening, the lucky minute was come. 1669 Boyle Contn. New Exp. ii. (1682) 57 To try whether the same success would evene with all unripe fruits. 1702 C. Mather Magn. Chr. ii. App. (1852) 210 God sometimes may suffer such things to evene. |