evolution

evolution
evolution 1620s, "an opening of what was rolled up," from L. evolutionem (nom. evolutio) "unrolling (of a book)," noun of action from evolvere (see EVOLVE (Cf. evolve)). Used in various senses in medicine, mathematics, and general use, including "growth to maturity and development of an individual living thing" (1660s). Modern use in biology, of species, first attested 1832 by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell. Charles Darwin used the word only once, in the closing paragraph of "The Origin of Species" (1859), and preferred descent with modification, in part because evolution already had been used in the 18c. homunculus theory of embryological development (first proposed under this name by Bonnet, 1762), in part because it carried a sense of "progress" not found in Darwin's idea. But Victorian belief in progress prevailed (along with brevity), and Herbert Spencer and other biologists popularized evolution.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • ÉVOLUTION — Le terme évolution a désigné et désigne encore plusieurs concepts; il sera pris ici dans le sens d’évolution biologique, défini précisément plus loin. Dans cette acception, il est d’un emploi relativement récent. Ni Lamarck ni Darwin ne s’en sont …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Evolution —     Evolution (History and Scientific Foundation)     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Evolution (History and Scientific Foundation)     The world of organisms comprises a great system of individual forms generally classified according to structural… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Evolution — ist die Veränderung der vererbbaren Merkmale einer Population von Lebewesen von Generation zu Generation. Diese Merkmale sind in Form von Genen kodiert, die bei der Fortpflanzung kopiert und an den Nachwuchs weitergegeben werden. Durch Mutationen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Evolution — Évolution Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Evolution — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Evolution puede referirse a: Evolution (película), una película dirigida por Ivan Reitman. Evolution (software), antes conocido como Novell Evolution, un gestor de información personal y de trabajo en grupo para… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Evolution — Почтовый клиент …   Википедия

  • Evolution — Sf Entwicklung erw. fach. (18. Jh.) Entlehnung. Unter dem Einfluß von frz. évolution entlehnt aus l. ēvolūtio das Aufrollen, Aufwickeln (einer Buchrolle) , zu l. ēvolvere (ēvolūtum) auseinanderwickeln, entwickeln , zu l. volvere drehen, rollen… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • evolution — UK US /ˌiːvəˈluːʃən/ noun [U or C] ► a gradual process of change and development: the evolution of sth »The evolution of modern management began in the last decades of the nineteenth century. evolution from sth to/into sth »As CEO he has overseen …   Financial and business terms

  • evolution —     Evolution generally describes any gradual process of change. It is used more specifically to describe any theory that explains biological diversity through gradual change derived from initial commonality. There have been many theories of this …   Christian Philosophy

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