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Revolves vs Devolves - What's the difference?

revolves | devolves |

As verbs the difference between revolves and devolves

is that revolves is third-person singular of revolve while devolves is third-person singular of devolve.

revolves

English

Verb

(head)
  • (revolve)
  • ----

    revolve

    English

    Verb

  • (label) To orbit a central point.
  • To turn on an axis.
  • *
  • It is never possible to settle down to the ordinary routine of life at sea until the screw begins to revolve . There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.
  • (label) To recur in cycles.
  • (label) To ponder on, to reflect repeatedly upon, to consider all aspects of.
  • * 1843 , (Thomas Carlyle), '', Bk.2, Ch.6, ''Monk Samson :
  • He sits silent, revolving many thoughts, at the foot of St. Edmund’s Shrine.

    Anagrams

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    devolves

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (devolve)
  • ----

    devolve

    English

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • (obsolete) To roll (something) down; to unroll.
  • * 1744 , (Mark Akenside), The Pleasures of the Imagination , II:
  • every headlong stream / Devolves its winding waters to the main.
  • * 1830 , , Character :
  • He spake of virtue […] And with […] a lack-lustre dead-blue eye, Devolved his rounded periods.
  • To be inherited by someone else; to pass down (upon) the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.
  • * 1932 , (Duff Cooper), Talleyrand , Folio Society 2010, p. 4:
  • an accident […] rendered him permanently lame, and therefore unfitted him, in the opinion of his parents, to inherit his father's many titles, which, it was then arranged, should devolve upon his younger brother.
  • To delegate (a responsibility, duty etc.) (on) or (upon) someone.
  • * 1704 , (Joseph Addison), Remarks on Several Parts of Italy :
  • They devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of sixty.
  • * 1756 , (Edmund Burke), A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful :
  • An artful man became popular, the people had power in their hands, and they devolved a considerable share of their power upon their favourite […].
  • To fall as a duty or responsibility (on) or (upon) someone.
  • * , Episode 16:
  • For the nonce he was rather nonplussed but inasmuch as the duty plainly devolved upon him to take some measures on the subject he pondered suitable ways and means during which Stephen repeatedly yawned.
  • To degenerate; to break down.
  • A discussion about politics may devolve into a shouting match.

    Anagrams

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