de·volve (d -v lv )v. de·volved, de·volv·ing, de·volves v.tr.1. To pass on or delegate to another: The senator devolved the duties of office upon a group of aides. 2. Archaic To cause to roll onward or downward. v.intr.1. To be passed on or transferred to another: The burden of proof devolved upon the defendant. The estate devolved to an unlikely heir. 2. To degenerate or deteriorate gradually: After several hours the discussion had devolved into a shouting match. 3. Archaic To roll onward or downward.
[Middle English devolven, to transfer, from Old French devolver, to confer, ascribe, from Latin d volvere, to roll down, fall to : d -, de- + volvere, to roll; see wel-2 in Indo-European roots.]
de·volve ment n. |
devolve Verb [-volving, -volved] to pass or cause to pass to a successor or substitute, as duties or power [Latin devolvere to roll down]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | devolve - pass on or delegate to another; "The representative devolved his duties to his aides while he was in the hospital" | | 2. | devolve - be inherited by; "The estate fell to my sister"; "The land returned to the family"; "The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead"light, fall - fall to somebody by assignment or lot; "The task fell to me"; "It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims" accrue, fall - come into the possession of; "The house accrued to the oldest son" | | 3. | devolve - grow worse; "Her condition deteriorated"; "Conditions in the slums degenerated"; "The discussion devolved into a shouting match"fatigue, jade, tire, weary, pall - lose interest or become bored with something or somebody; "I'm so tired of your mother and her complaints about my food" languish, fade - become feeble; "The prisoner has be languishing for years in the dungeon" rot, waste - become physically weaker; "Political prisoners are wasting away in many prisons all over the world" |
devolve
Translations devolve [dɪˈvɔlv] vi to devolve (up)on → ricadere su
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|