(of a whole number) divisible by two without a remainder
Six is an even number.
She counted by even numbers: 2, 4, 6, 8.
✦ Use of "even" to describe numbers dates from the Middle English period, extending the idea of equality to arithmetic.
flat and level, without bumps or high spots
The carpenter sanded the table until the surface was perfectly even.
She adjusted the picture frame so it hung even on the wall.
✦ Old English "efen" meaning "level, equal", related to German "eben".
equal in amount, number, or score; not ahead or behind
The teams were even at halftime, 2–2.
After splitting the bill, everyone was even.
✦ Old English "efen" also carried the sense "equal".
used to emphasize something surprising, extreme, or unexpected
He didn’t even say goodbye.
She can’t even boil an egg.
✦ Adverbial use arose in Old English to intensify statements, similar to modern usage.
to make something flat, smooth, or equal
They used a roller to even the concrete.
She trimmed the hedge to even the top.
✦ Verb use comes from the adjective meaning "make level", first recorded in the 14th century.
something that happens, especially something important or unusual
The sudden storm was an unexpected event that ruined our picnic.
Graduation day is a major event in every student's life.
✦ From Latin ‘eventus’ meaning ‘outcome’ or ‘occurrence’.
the act or process of stopping something from happening or reducing the chance that it will happen
Regular exercise is an important form of prevention against heart disease.
Wearing helmets is required for the prevention of head injuries on the construction site.
✦ Late Middle English, from Old French, from late Latin preventio(n-), from Latin praevenire ‘come before, anticipate’.
being number seven in a list or order.
This is the seventh day of our trip, and we are still having fun.
The elevator doors open on the seventh floor, revealing a brightly lit school hallway.
✦ Formed from the cardinal number seven plus the ordinal suffix -th in Old English; cognate with other Germanic forms.
a person or thing that is number seven in a sequence.
Liam was the seventh to cross the finish line.
The seventh on the guest list canceled at the last minute.
