# evolution

Pronunciation: say "ev-uh-LOO-shuhn" US /ˌɛvəˈluʃ(ə)n/, AUS /ɛvəˈlʉːʃən/; UK say "ee-vuh-LOO-shuhn" /ˌiːvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/

## Noun

1. The process by which living things gradually change into new forms over many generations through the buildup of inherited genetic variation.
   - Simple: The slow change in living things over many generations, as new traits build up and pass down.
   - _The theory of evolution accounts for the shared features of closely related species._
   - _Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is evolution happening on a timescale we can actually observe._
2. Gradual development over time in something such as a system, field of study, or product, especially as it grows more complex.
   - Simple: A slow change in something over time, often moving from a simple form to a more complex one.
   - _The evolution of jazz drew on blues, ragtime, and brass-band traditions._
   - _Historians trace the evolution of the city from a small trading post to a sprawling port._
3. Development; the act or result of drawing out and developing what was already implicit in an idea, argument, or the like.
   - Simple: The act of working out an idea or argument fully, bringing into the open what was once hidden in it.
   - _The lawyer's closing statement traced the evolution of the central claim from its first premise._
   - _The book's later chapters reward readers with the full evolution of the opening thesis._
4. A movement by which a person or thing passes from one position to another.
   - Simple: A movement that takes a person or thing from one position to another.
   - _The marching band's evolutions on the field spelled out the school's initials at halftime._
   - _In the final evolution, the stunt planes swept in from opposite ends of the field and met directly over the grandstand._
5. A turning movement, especially of the body, as performed in dance, gymnastics, or drill.
   - Simple: A turning or twisting motion of the body, such as in dance or gymnastics.
   - _The gymnast completed a graceful evolution before landing squarely on the mat._
   - _Each evolution of the corps moved in perfect time with the music._
6. A maneuver of troops or ships; a coordinated change of formation or position carried out as a single movement.
   - Simple: A planned movement of soldiers or ships into new positions.
   - _The squadron practiced each evolution until the ships could change formation in minutes._
   - _A skillful evolution let the regiment withdraw without losing a single soldier._
7. The act or instance of giving off gas; the emission of gas during a chemical or physical process.
   - Simple: The giving off of gas, such as the bubbles released during a chemical reaction.
   - _The rapid evolution of hydrogen warned the chemist that the reaction was accelerating._
   - _Adding acid to the chalk caused a steady evolution of carbon dioxide._

## Noun

8. The process by which something unfolds or opens out; also, the regular, step-by-step sequence in which events develop. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: The unfolding or opening out of something, or the way events follow one after another in order.
   - _The diarist recorded the gradual evolution of the campaign, day by day._
   - _In the slow evolution of the drama, each act opened upon the last._
9. A turned or twisted shape; a complex, intricate, or coiled form. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A twisted or curled shape, full of folds and turns.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The opening out of a curve; more generally, the gradual transformation of a curve as the conditions generating it change.
- (noun) The mathematical extraction of a root from a given power; the inverse of raising a number to that power.

## Origin

Borrowed from Latin ēvolūtiō ("the act of unrolling, unfolding, or opening of a book"), from ēvolūtus, the past participle of ēvolvō ("to unroll, unfold"), which is formed from ex plus volvō ("to roll").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/evolution (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).