evolution

3 definitions found

evolution - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Evolution \Ev`o*lu"tion\ ([e^]v`[-o]*l[=u]"sh[u^]n), n. [L.
     evolutio an unrolling: cf. F. ['e]volution evolution. See
     Evolve.]
     1. The act of unfolding or unrolling; hence, any process of
        growth or development; as, the evolution of a flower from
        a bud, or an animal from the egg.
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     2. A series of things unrolled or unfolded. "The whole
        evolution of ages." --Dr. H. More.
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     3. (Geom.) The formation of an involute by unwrapping a
        thread from a curve as an evolute. --Hutton.
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     4. (Arith. & Alg.) The extraction of roots; -- the reverse of
        involution.
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     5. (Mil. & Naval) A prescribed movement of a body of troops,
        or a vessel or fleet; any movement designed to effect a
        new arrangement or disposition; a maneuver.
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              Those evolutions are best which can be executed with
              the greatest celerity, compatible with regularity.
                                                    --Campbell.
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     6. (Biol.) A general name for the history of the steps by
        which any living organism has acquired the morphological
        and physiological characters which distinguish it; a
        gradual unfolding of successive phases of growth or
        development.
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     7. (Biol.) That theory of generation which supposes the germ
        to pre["e]xist in the parent, and its parts to be
        developed, but not actually formed, by the procreative
        act; -- opposed to epigenesis.
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     8. (Metaph.) That series of changes under natural law which
        involves continuous progress from the homogeneous to the
        heterogeneous in structure, and from the single and simple
        to the diverse and manifold in quality or function. The
        process is by some limited to organic beings; by others it
        is applied to the inorganic and the psychical. It is also
        applied to explain the existence and growth of
        institutions, manners, language, civilization, and every
        product of human activity. The agencies and laws of the
        process are variously explained by different philosophrs.
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              Evolution is to me series with development.
                                                    --Gladstone.
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evolution - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  evolution
      n 1: a process in which something passes by degrees to a
           different stage (especially a more advanced or mature
           stage); "the development of his ideas took many years";
           "the evolution of Greek civilization"; "the slow
           development of her skill as a writer" [syn: development,
           evolution] [ant: degeneration, devolution]
      2: (biology) the sequence of events involved in the evolutionary
         development of a species or taxonomic group of organisms
         [syn: evolution, organic evolution, phylogeny,
         phylogenesis]

evolution - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  41 Moby Thesaurus words for "evolution":
     addition, advance, approximation, beautification, change,
     developing, development, differentiation, division, elaboration,
     embellishment, equation, evolvement, evolving, extrapolation,
     flowering, formation, growing, growth, integration, interpolation,
     inversion, involution, maturation, multiplication, notation,
     perfection, phylogeny, practice, production, progress, progression,
     proportion, reduction, refinement, ripening, seasoning,
     subtraction, transformation, unfolding, upgrowth