Part 860

E*va"si*ble (?), a. That may be evaded. [R.]

E*va"sion (?), n. [L. evasio: cf. F. évasion. See Evade.] The act of eluding or avoiding, particularly the pressure of an argument, accusation, charge, or interrogation; artful means of eluding.

Thou . . . by evasions thy crime uncoverest more.

Milton.

Syn. -- Shift; subterfuge; shuffling; prevarication; equivocation.

E*va"sive (?), a. [Cf. F. évasif. See Evade.] Tending to evade, or marked by evasion; elusive; shuffling; avoiding by artifice.

Thus he, though conscious of the ethereal guest, Answered evasive of the sly request.

Pope.

Stammered out a few evasive phrases.

Macaulay.

-- E*va"sive*ly , adv. -- E*va"sive*ness, n.

Eve (?), n. [See Even, n.] 1. Evening. [Poetic]

Winter oft, at eve resumes the breeze.

Thomson.

2. The evening before a holiday, -- from the Jewish mode of reckoning the day as beginning at sunset, not at midnight; as, Christians eve is the evening before Christmas; also, the period immediately preceding some important event. "On the eve of death." Keble.

Eve churr (Zoöl), the European goatsucker or nightjar; -- called also night churr, and churr owl.

E*vec"tics (?), n. [Gr. &?; healthy.] The branch of medical science which teaches the method of acquiring a good habit of body. [Obs.]

E*vec"tion (?). [L. evectio a going up, fr. evehere to carry out; e out + vehere to carry: cf. F évection.] 1. The act of carrying up or away; exaltation. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

2. (Astron.) (a) An inequality of the moon's motion is its orbit to the attraction of the sun, by which the equation of the center is diminished at the syzygies, and increased at the quadratures by about 1° 20′. (b) The libration of the moon. Whewell.

E"ven (v"'n) n. [OE. eve, even, efen, æfen. AS. fen; akin to OS. band, OFries, vend, D. avond, OHG. band, Icel. aptan, Sw. afton, Dan. aften; of unknown origin. Cf. Eve, Evening.] Evening. See Eve, n. 1. [Poetic.] Shak.

E"ven, a. [AS. efen. efn; akin to OS. eban, D. even, OHG. eban, G. efen, Icel. jafn, Dan. jevn, Sw. jämn, Goth. ibns. Cf. Anent, Ebb.] 1. Level, smooth, or equal in surface; not rough; free from irregularities; hence uniform in rate of motion of action; as, even ground; an even speed; an even course of conduct.

2. Equable; not easily ruffed or disturbed; calm; uniformly self-possessed; as, an even temper.

3. Parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit.

And shall lay thee even with the ground.

Luke xix. 44.

4. Balanced; adjusted; fair; equitable; impartial; just to both side; owing nothing on either side; -- said of accounts, bargains, or persons indebted; as, our accounts are even; an even bargain.

To make the even truth in pleasure flow.

Shak.