UNPKG

word-vault

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A lightweight JavaScript package for English word definitions and collections.

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{ "term": "evolution", "partOfSpeech": "noun", "academic": true, "ox5000": true, "cefr": "b2", "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "the slow steady development of plants, animals, etc. during the history of the earth, as they adapt to changes in their environment", "labels": "(biology)", "cefr": "b2", "examples": [ { "text": "the evolution of the human species" }, { "text": "Darwin’s theory of evolution" }, { "text": "Finally it was legal to teach evolution everywhere in America." }, { "text": "Evolution requires intermediate forms between species." }, { "text": "competing theories as to how evolution works" }, { "text": "the early evolution of animals" }, { "text": "organic evolution by natural selection" }, { "text": "the long-term evolution of ecosystems" } ], "topics": ["Biology"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["gradual", "slow", "rapid"], "verb + evolution": ["trace", "drive", "influence"], "evolution + verb": ["happen", "occur", "proceed"], "preposition": [ "evolution from… to…", "evolution of", "evolution towards/​toward" ], "phrases": ["the theory of evolution"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "the slow steady development of something", "cefr": "b2", "examples": [ { "text": "In politics Britain has preferred evolution to revolution *(= slow steady development to sudden violent change)*" }, { "text": "cultural trends and evolutions" }, { "text": "The movement is undergoing an ideological evolution." }, { "text": "a book tracing the evolution of the English language" }, { "text": "his evolution from comedian to serious actor" }, { "text": "the country's gradual evolution towards democracy" }, { "text": "the parallel evolution of science and art" } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["gradual", "slow", "rapid"], "verb + evolution": ["trace", "drive", "influence"], "evolution + verb": ["happen", "occur", "proceed"], "preposition": [ "evolution from… to…", "evolution of", "evolution towards/​toward" ], "phrases": ["the theory of evolution"] } } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˌiːvəˈluːʃn//ˌevəˈluːʃn/", "audio": "ev/evolution/evolution__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/ˌevəˈluːʃn/", "audio": "ev/evolution/evolution__us_2.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "early 17th cent.: from Latin evolutio(n-) ‘unrolling’, from the verb evolvere, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out of’ + volvere ‘to roll’. Early senses related to movement, first recorded in describing a “wheeling” manoeuvre in the realignment of troops or ships. Current senses stem from a notion of “opening out”, giving rise to the sense ‘development’." }