unevenadj.

Brit.

/(ˌ)ʌnˈiːvn/, U.S.

/ˌənˈivən/

Etymology: Old English unefen ( < un- un- prefix¹ 1 + efen even adj.¹ and n.²), = Old Frisian oniovn (West Frisian on-, ûneven, North Frisian unēven, -īven), Middle Dutch and Dutch oneven, -effen, Middle Low German uneven, Old High German uneban (Middle High German and German uneben), Old Norse and Icelandic ú-, ójafn (Norwegian ujamn, Swedish ojemn, Danish ujevn).

a. Unequal; not properly corresponding or agreeing. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > relationship > equality or equivalence > inequality > [adjective]

unevenOE

unlikea1387

odda1393

unmeeta1393

inequalc1400

inegal1484

impar1535

unegual1542

unequal1565

inequivalent1568

unmatch1570

unegall1589

disequal1622

disparate1764

OE Crist III 1459 Hu þær wæs unefen racu unc gemæne!

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 232 Vre blod..aȝein his blod þet he schedde for vs were ful un efne change.

a1340 R. Rolle Psalter xlii. 1 My consciens and my ȝernynge is vneuen til þairs.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 279 Thou tellest forth, Hou that hire weyhte of love unevene Is unto thin.

a1470 Dives & Pauper (1496) vii. xi. 293/1 By wyckednesse of false couetyse in the people men ben uneuen in rychesse.

1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 104 Yf it were vneuen to the tother, or faylynge in eny thynge that an other had.

1596 E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene vi. v. sig. Cc8 So forth they traueld an vneuen payre,..A saluage man matcht with a Ladie fayre.

1609 J. Davies Holy Roode sig. B3 What diff'rence is betweene those Hymnes diuine... They are as Fame, and Shame, no lesse vneu'n.

1669 R. Boyle Contin. New Exper. Physico-mech. (1682) i. 40 Two pipes of Glass very uneven in length.

1885 Manch. Examiner 14 July 4/5 Stands are very uneven, and the size of the plant varies from 2 in. to 3½ ft.

b. Of numbers: Odd. Also of things: Making up, or marked by, an odd number.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > [adjective] > describing particular qualities > odd

odda1398

imparc1430

uneven1577

unequal1697

odd-numbered1850

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 35 Which Plinie accounteth to haue vneauen corners as Pease hath.

1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Disparo, vneeuen, or od in number, vnequall.

1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 173 Nothing ought to be eaten by euen numbers, but by vneuen, wherewith God is pleased.

1615 G. Sandys Relation of Journey 78 Let rauisht Poets drinke thrice three, Of whom the vneuen Muses be Belou'd.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Number The Sum, or the Difference, of two uneven Numbers, makes an even Number.

1770 P. Luckombe Conc. Hist. Printing 265 According to the folio either of an even, or uneven page.

1875 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) I. 485 Then the triad or number three is uneven.

1888 C. T. Jacobi Printers' Vocab. 149 Uneven pages, pages with odd folios, such as 1, 3, 5, etc.

†2. Unequitable, unfair, unjust:

a. Of acts, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unjustness > [adjective]

unrighteOE

unrightfulOE

wrongousa1200

wrongfulc1311

unevenc1380

unjustc1384

untrue1393

injustc1430

unreasonablec1440

unduec1450

inique1521

unequal1535

wry1561

undeserved?c1570

justless1578

unrighted1608

unequitable1643

inequitable1667

unfair1724

iniquitablea1734

unsportsmanlike1754

unsportsmanly1776

unsporting1859

below the belt1892

red-hot1896

society > morality > rightness or justice > wrong or injustice > [adjective] > unfair

unmethea1300

unevenc1380

inique1521

unequal1535

unegall1589

unequitable1643

inequitable1667

unfair1713

iniquitablea1734

unsportsmanlike1754

unsportsmanly1776

rough1801

unsporting1859

below the belt1892

red-hot1896

c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 316 Summe ben too wel fed bi vneuene partyng of here goodis.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. cxxi. 1359 And so fo[r] euene and vneuene dedes þat here beþ ydo.

1585 Abp. E. Sandys Serm. ii. 40 If merchaunts,..doe inriche themselues by impouerishing others, through deceitfull shifts; the common wealth suffereth dammage by their vneuen dealings.

1613 I. F. Christes Bloodie Sweat 11 By courses indirect and lawes vn-euen, Of will and sensuall lust.

†b. Of persons, etc. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unjustness > [adjective] > of person

wrongousa1200

unjustc1384

unevenc1475

unequal1588

society > morality > rightness or justice > wrong or injustice > [adjective] > unfair > specifically of persons

unevenc1475

unequal1588

unfair1724

c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 104 Þei are vnfeiþful to þer souereyns, vn euyn to þer lowar.

a1500 Ratis Raving Prol. 60 He saw..rychtwysmen and god-lyk baith, With wykyt men & wnewyne lyk scaith.

1581 J. Bell tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius iii. 392 They are in this their partition, so parciall and vneuen dealers, that they will not leaue to Christ, the whole cleansing of the guilt.

1611 J. Speed Hist. Great Brit. ix. xxi. 780/2 N. D. with his vneuen hand (euer ouerhard to shadow the truth).

1641 J. Milton Animadversions 7 Sir Francis Bacon..complaines of the Bishops uneven hand over these Pamflets.

3. Diverging from a straight or exactly parallel position. (In early quots. figurative.)

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > order > disorder > irregularity > [adjective]

uneven1390

irregular1483

scambling1592

prevaricant1644

eccentrica1649

vagous1660

erratical1698

scrambling1778

unregular1884

the world > space > relative position > inclination > [adjective] > diverging from straight or parallel

uneven1639

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 30 Thei hemself divide And stonden out of reule unevene.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 126 Among the vices..Ther is yit on..Which al this world hath set unevene.

1639 G. Digby in G. Digby & K. Digby Lett. conc. Relig. (1651) 90 And lines many times that at first appear parallels to the eie..prove apparently uneven.

1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 321 If..the sides of the Sheet lye un-even upon the Tympan-sheet.

1862 M. E. Braddon Lady Audley's Secret I. i. 3 The windows were uneven.

4. Not smooth or level; irregular, broken, rugged.

a. Of ground, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > shape > unevenness > [adjective]

unevenc1275

rudea1393

craggeda1400

knaggedc1430

raggedc1450

raggy1483

cocklya1529

rugged1528

knaggy1552

unlevel?a1560

craggy1568

scraggy1574

balkish1577

cockling1582

cockled1600

unequal1613

salebrous1633

scragged1641

inequal1661

unevenly1683

hummocky1767

snaggly1794

snaggy1806

hobblya1825

shreddy1835

scraggly1869

bobbly1909

pebbly1923

snaggled1938

c1275 in Old Eng. Misc. 75/88 Þe weyes beoþ vn-euene, Wiþ wepynde stefne To helle he schulle þenne.

1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Inæquabilis An open place beyng high and low, or vneuen.

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 42^v Beastes and Poultry..with tramplyng and skraping wyll make it rugged and vneuen.

1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. ii. 25 Eight yeardes of vneuen ground is threescore and ten myles a foote with mee.

1618 J. Taylor Pennyles Pilgrimage E 4 The way so vneuen, stonie, and full of bogges.

1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata 91 Aquaries [governs] Hilly and uneven places.

1746 in 10th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1885) App. i. 440 As we march'd, all the way up hill, and over very uneven Ground, our men were greatly Blown.

1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth I. 290 In it [sc. the sea-bottom] we find the same uneven surface that we do upon land.

1858 N. Hawthorne French & Ital. Note-bks. (1871) II. 199 On the verge and within the crater of an extinct volcano, and therefore..as uneven as the sea in a tempest.

figurative.a1596 Sir Thomas More (1911) iv. v. 4 You see the floore of greatnesse is uneuen.1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iv. i. 5 Vneuen is the course, I like it not.

b. In general use.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > shape > misshapenness > [adjective] > irregular in shape

uneven1398

bastard1418

raggedc1450

odd1508

unruled1551

irregular1584

inordinate1667

rambling1676

odd-shaped1704

bizarre1824

scrawled1895

raggedy1896

scrawly1901

free-form1942

1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (1495) iv. iii. e vj b/1 The vtter partyes ben vneuyn wyth holownes sonke and had partes areryd.

1582 in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1599) II. i. 162 The sorting together of Wools of seuerall natures,..which causeth cloth to cockle and be uneuen.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. viii. sig. H4^v For one of them was like an Eagles claw,..The other like a beares vneuen paw.

1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 154 [He] cuts out what may remain in the bottom of the Shanck by reason of the un-even breaking.

1712 J. James tr. A.-J. Dézallier d'Argenville Theory & Pract. Gardening 140 Its Bark is somewhat rugged and uneaven.

1798 S. Lee Young Lady's Tale in H. Lee Canterbury Tales II. 431 The uneven writing..proved that it was sent while the young man was still fluctuating between life and death.

1810 G. Crabbe Borough xxii. 305 The Sun-burn'd Tar..And Bank-side Stakes in their uneven ranks.

1855 Poultry Chron. 3 522/1 The upper part of the cell..being more convex; therefore, the comb is very uneven.

absolute.1794 R. Kirwan Elements Mineral. (ed. 2) I. 157 Fracture, fine or coarse splintery, which sometimes pass into the uneven of a fine grain.

c. transferred and figurative (of immaterial things, sounds, style, etc.). Old English unefn, unemn, occurs in similar uses.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > motion in specific manner > irregular movement or agitation > [adjective]

uneven1598

bobbly1909

the world > action or operation > behaviour > other specific behaviour > [adjective] > uneven

uneven1598

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > inelegance > [adjective] > uneven

uneven1598

evenless1652

hummocky1869

(a)

1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 i. i. 50 For more vneuen and vnwelcome newes Came from the North.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iv. iv. 2 In most vneuen and distracted manner, his actions show much like to madnesse.

1649 R. Lovelace Poems (1864) 114 Where is a joy uneven, There never, never can be Heav'n.

1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 185 Such is the uneven State of human Life.

1763 L. Scrafton Refl. Govt. Indostan (1770) iii. 76 The uneven temper of the Soubah could never long retain its disguise.

1886 J. J. H. Burgess Shetland Sketches i. 48 He..went away down to the house, feeling very sorrowful, and mad, and altogether uneven.

(b)1608 A. Willet Hexapla in Exodum 50 The horses euill and vneuen going proceedeth of his owne lamenes.(c)1668 N. Culpeper & A. Cole tr. T. Bartholin Anat. (new ed.) iii. ix. 150 Not only with cold Air, but with any other uneven noise, passing through their Mouth into their Ears.1731 A. Pope Epist. to Earl of Burlington 11 Light Quirks of Musick, broken and uneven.1811 W. R. Spencer Poems Ded. His strain is weak, his voice uneven.(d)1763 J. Brown Diss. Poetry & Music vi. 111 Homer is equal, large, flowing, and harmonious; Eschylus is uneven, concise, abrupt, and rugged.(e)1905 R. Brooke Let. 25 Mar. (1968) 19 It's not a bad number [of a magazine], a bit uneven of course; but then you can't expect the other men to ascend to my level.1974 Country Life 7 Feb. 240/2 Almost no one was more uneven, as it is politely called, than G. F. Watts.

Compounds

uneven-carriaged, uneven-numbered, uneven-roofed; uneven-aged adj. (of a group of trees) containing individuals of different ages.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by habit > tree or woody plant > wood or assemblage of trees or shrubs > [adjective] > containing trees of same or different age or species

even-aged1889

pure1889

all-aged1905

uneven-aged1905

1670 T. Brooks Wks. (1867) VI. 342 A rotten heart, is a very uneven-carriaged heart.

1882 Contemp. Rev. Aug. 234 The 16 alternate or uneven-numbered sections in all townships.

1887 J. J. Hissey Holiday on Road i. 3 Weather-stained out~buildings, lichen-laden and uneven-roofed.

1905 Terms Forestry & Logging (Bull. U.S. Dept. Agric., Bureau Forestry, No. 61) 14 Forests in which the trees differ considerably in age..uneven-aged forest.

1953 H. L. Edlin Forester's Handbk. vii. 105 Woodlands may..be..uneven-aged, with trees of various ages and therefore differing sizes.

Draft additions December 2004

uneven bars n. Gymnastics (chiefly North American) = asymmetric bars n. at asymmetric adj. Additions; cf. uneven parallel bars n. at Additions.

ΚΠ

1952 N.Y. Times 21 Dec. v. 5/4 Uneven Bars—Margit Korondi, Hungary.

1974 Marysville (Ohio) Jrnl.-Tribune 26 Nov. 5/4 Olga did her famous back flip on the high uneven bar, and showed her highly flexible moves on the beam.

2003 K. G. Harmon in A. Rubin Sports Injuries & Emergencies xxxvii. 306 Hand position required to complete certain maneuvers, particularly on uneven bars, may place the shoulder or elbow at risk for dislocation.

Draft additions December 2004

uneven parallel bars n. Gymnastics (chiefly North American) = asymmetric bars n. at asymmetric adj. Additions; cf. uneven bars n. at Additions.

ΚΠ

1952 Amateur Athletic Union U.S. Gymnastics Yearbk. 81 You should start training immediately on the compulsory and optional exercises on the Uneven Parallel Bars.

1981 Gettysburg (Pa.) Times 26 May 14/1 The Gettysburg youth won a gold medal in the uneven parallel bar and a bronze medal for the balance beam.

2003 Dance Spirit July–Aug. 129/3 She was sidelined by a back injury after a dismount from the uneven parallel bars.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	uneven
释义	unevenadj. Brit. /(ˌ)ʌnˈiːvn/, U.S. /ˌənˈivən/ Etymology: Old English unefen ( < un- un- prefix¹ 1 + efen even adj.¹ and n.²), = Old Frisian oniovn (West Frisian on-, ûneven, North Frisian unēven, -īven), Middle Dutch and Dutch oneven, -effen, Middle Low German uneven, Old High German uneban (Middle High German and German uneben), Old Norse and Icelandic ú-, ójafn (Norwegian ujamn, Swedish ojemn, Danish ujevn). 1. a. Unequal; not properly corresponding or agreeing. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > relationship > equality or equivalence > inequality > [adjective] unevenOE unlikea1387 odda1393 unmeeta1393 inequalc1400 inegal1484 impar1535 unegual1542 unequal1565 inequivalent1568 unmatch1570 unegall1589 disequal1622 disparate1764 OE Crist III 1459 Hu þær wæs unefen racu unc gemæne! ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 232 Vre blod..aȝein his blod þet he schedde for vs were ful un efne change. a1340 R. Rolle Psalter xlii. 1 My consciens and my ȝernynge is vneuen til þairs. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 279 Thou tellest forth, Hou that hire weyhte of love unevene Is unto thin. a1470 Dives & Pauper (1496) vii. xi. 293/1 By wyckednesse of false couetyse in the people men ben uneuen in rychesse. 1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 104 Yf it were vneuen to the tother, or faylynge in eny thynge that an other had. 1596 E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene vi. v. sig. Cc8 So forth they traueld an vneuen payre,..A saluage man matcht with a Ladie fayre. View more context for this quotation 1609 J. Davies Holy Roode sig. B3 What diff'rence is betweene those Hymnes diuine... They are as Fame, and Shame, no lesse vneu'n. 1669 R. Boyle Contin. New Exper. Physico-mech. (1682) i. 40 Two pipes of Glass very uneven in length. 1885 Manch. Examiner 14 July 4/5 Stands are very uneven, and the size of the plant varies from 2 in. to 3½ ft. b. Of numbers: Odd. Also of things: Making up, or marked by, an odd number. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > [adjective] > describing particular qualities > odd odda1398 imparc1430 uneven1577 unequal1697 odd-numbered1850 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 35 Which Plinie accounteth to haue vneauen corners as Pease hath. 1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Disparo, vneeuen, or od in number, vnequall. 1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 173 Nothing ought to be eaten by euen numbers, but by vneuen, wherewith God is pleased. 1615 G. Sandys Relation of Journey 78 Let rauisht Poets drinke thrice three, Of whom the vneuen Muses be Belou'd. 1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Number The Sum, or the Difference, of two uneven Numbers, makes an even Number. 1770 P. Luckombe Conc. Hist. Printing 265 According to the folio either of an even, or uneven page. 1875 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) I. 485 Then the triad or number three is uneven. 1888 C. T. Jacobi Printers' Vocab. 149 Uneven pages, pages with odd folios, such as 1, 3, 5, etc. †2. Unequitable, unfair, unjust: a. Of acts, etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unjustness > [adjective] unrighteOE unrightfulOE wrongousa1200 wrongfulc1311 unevenc1380 unjustc1384 untrue1393 injustc1430 unreasonablec1440 unduec1450 inique1521 unequal1535 wry1561 undeserved?c1570 justless1578 unrighted1608 unequitable1643 inequitable1667 unfair1724 iniquitablea1734 unsportsmanlike1754 unsportsmanly1776 unsporting1859 below the belt1892 red-hot1896 society > morality > rightness or justice > wrong or injustice > [adjective] > unfair unmethea1300 unevenc1380 inique1521 unequal1535 unegall1589 unequitable1643 inequitable1667 unfair1713 iniquitablea1734 unsportsmanlike1754 unsportsmanly1776 rough1801 unsporting1859 below the belt1892 red-hot1896 c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 316 Summe ben too wel fed bi vneuene partyng of here goodis. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xix. cxxi. 1359 And so fo[r] euene and vneuene dedes þat here beþ ydo. 1585 Abp. E. Sandys Serm. ii. 40 If merchaunts,..doe inriche themselues by impouerishing others, through deceitfull shifts; the common wealth suffereth dammage by their vneuen dealings. 1613 I. F. Christes Bloodie Sweat 11 By courses indirect and lawes vn-euen, Of will and sensuall lust. †b. Of persons, etc. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unjustness > [adjective] > of person wrongousa1200 unjustc1384 unevenc1475 unequal1588 society > morality > rightness or justice > wrong or injustice > [adjective] > unfair > specifically of persons unevenc1475 unequal1588 unfair1724 c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 104 Þei are vnfeiþful to þer souereyns, vn euyn to þer lowar. a1500 Ratis Raving Prol. 60 He saw..rychtwysmen and god-lyk baith, With wykyt men & wnewyne lyk scaith. 1581 J. Bell tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius iii. 392 They are in this their partition, so parciall and vneuen dealers, that they will not leaue to Christ, the whole cleansing of the guilt. 1611 J. Speed Hist. Great Brit. ix. xxi. 780/2 N. D. with his vneuen hand (euer ouerhard to shadow the truth). 1641 J. Milton Animadversions 7 Sir Francis Bacon..complaines of the Bishops uneven hand over these Pamflets. 3. Diverging from a straight or exactly parallel position. (In early quots. figurative.) ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > order > disorder > irregularity > [adjective] uneven1390 irregular1483 scambling1592 prevaricant1644 eccentrica1649 vagous1660 erratical1698 scrambling1778 unregular1884 the world > space > relative position > inclination > [adjective] > diverging from straight or parallel uneven1639 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 30 Thei hemself divide And stonden out of reule unevene. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 126 Among the vices..Ther is yit on..Which al this world hath set unevene. 1639 G. Digby in G. Digby & K. Digby Lett. conc. Relig. (1651) 90 And lines many times that at first appear parallels to the eie..prove apparently uneven. 1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 321 If..the sides of the Sheet lye un-even upon the Tympan-sheet. 1862 M. E. Braddon Lady Audley's Secret I. i. 3 The windows were uneven. 4. Not smooth or level; irregular, broken, rugged. a. Of ground, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > space > shape > unevenness > [adjective] unevenc1275 rudea1393 craggeda1400 knaggedc1430 raggedc1450 raggy1483 cocklya1529 rugged1528 knaggy1552 unlevel?a1560 craggy1568 scraggy1574 balkish1577 cockling1582 cockled1600 unequal1613 salebrous1633 scragged1641 inequal1661 unevenly1683 hummocky1767 snaggly1794 snaggy1806 hobblya1825 shreddy1835 scraggly1869 bobbly1909 pebbly1923 snaggled1938 c1275 in Old Eng. Misc. 75/88 Þe weyes beoþ vn-euene, Wiþ wepynde stefne To helle he schulle þenne. 1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Inæquabilis An open place beyng high and low, or vneuen. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry i. f. 42^v Beastes and Poultry..with tramplyng and skraping wyll make it rugged and vneuen. 1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. ii. 25 Eight yeardes of vneuen ground is threescore and ten myles a foote with mee. View more context for this quotation 1618 J. Taylor Pennyles Pilgrimage E 4 The way so vneuen, stonie, and full of bogges. 1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata 91 Aquaries [governs] Hilly and uneven places. 1746 in 10th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1885) App. i. 440 As we march'd, all the way up hill, and over very uneven Ground, our men were greatly Blown. 1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth I. 290 In it [sc. the sea-bottom] we find the same uneven surface that we do upon land. 1858 N. Hawthorne French & Ital. Note-bks. (1871) II. 199 On the verge and within the crater of an extinct volcano, and therefore..as uneven as the sea in a tempest. figurative.a1596 Sir Thomas More (1911) iv. v. 4 You see the floore of greatnesse is uneuen.1597 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iv. i. 5 Vneuen is the course, I like it not. View more context for this quotation b. In general use. ΘΚΠ the world > space > shape > misshapenness > [adjective] > irregular in shape uneven1398 bastard1418 raggedc1450 odd1508 unruled1551 irregular1584 inordinate1667 rambling1676 odd-shaped1704 bizarre1824 scrawled1895 raggedy1896 scrawly1901 free-form1942 1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (1495) iv. iii. e vj b/1 The vtter partyes ben vneuyn wyth holownes sonke and had partes areryd. 1582 in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1599) II. i. 162 The sorting together of Wools of seuerall natures,..which causeth cloth to cockle and be uneuen. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. viii. sig. H4^v For one of them was like an Eagles claw,..The other like a beares vneuen paw. 1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 154 [He] cuts out what may remain in the bottom of the Shanck by reason of the un-even breaking. 1712 J. James tr. A.-J. Dézallier d'Argenville Theory & Pract. Gardening 140 Its Bark is somewhat rugged and uneaven. 1798 S. Lee Young Lady's Tale in H. Lee Canterbury Tales II. 431 The uneven writing..proved that it was sent while the young man was still fluctuating between life and death. 1810 G. Crabbe Borough xxii. 305 The Sun-burn'd Tar..And Bank-side Stakes in their uneven ranks. 1855 Poultry Chron. 3 522/1 The upper part of the cell..being more convex; therefore, the comb is very uneven. absolute.1794 R. Kirwan Elements Mineral. (ed. 2) I. 157 Fracture, fine or coarse splintery, which sometimes pass into the uneven of a fine grain. c. transferred and figurative (of immaterial things, sounds, style, etc.). Old English unefn, unemn, occurs in similar uses. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in specific manner > irregular movement or agitation > [adjective] uneven1598 bobbly1909 the world > action or operation > behaviour > other specific behaviour > [adjective] > uneven uneven1598 society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > inelegance > [adjective] > uneven uneven1598 evenless1652 hummocky1869 (a) 1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 i. i. 50 For more vneuen and vnwelcome newes Came from the North. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iv. iv. 2 In most vneuen and distracted manner, his actions show much like to madnesse. View more context for this quotation 1649 R. Lovelace Poems (1864) 114 Where is a joy uneven, There never, never can be Heav'n. 1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 185 Such is the uneven State of human Life. 1763 L. Scrafton Refl. Govt. Indostan (1770) iii. 76 The uneven temper of the Soubah could never long retain its disguise. 1886 J. J. H. Burgess Shetland Sketches i. 48 He..went away down to the house, feeling very sorrowful, and mad, and altogether uneven. (b)1608 A. Willet Hexapla in Exodum 50 The horses euill and vneuen going proceedeth of his owne lamenes.(c)1668 N. Culpeper & A. Cole tr. T. Bartholin Anat. (new ed.) iii. ix. 150 Not only with cold Air, but with any other uneven noise, passing through their Mouth into their Ears.1731 A. Pope Epist. to Earl of Burlington 11 Light Quirks of Musick, broken and uneven.1811 W. R. Spencer Poems Ded. His strain is weak, his voice uneven.(d)1763 J. Brown Diss. Poetry & Music vi. 111 Homer is equal, large, flowing, and harmonious; Eschylus is uneven, concise, abrupt, and rugged.(e)1905 R. Brooke Let. 25 Mar. (1968) 19 It's not a bad number [of a magazine], a bit uneven of course; but then you can't expect the other men to ascend to my level.1974 Country Life 7 Feb. 240/2 Almost no one was more uneven, as it is politely called, than G. F. Watts. Compounds uneven-carriaged, uneven-numbered, uneven-roofed; uneven-aged adj. (of a group of trees) containing individuals of different ages. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by habit > tree or woody plant > wood or assemblage of trees or shrubs > [adjective] > containing trees of same or different age or species even-aged1889 pure1889 all-aged1905 uneven-aged1905 1670 T. Brooks Wks. (1867) VI. 342 A rotten heart, is a very uneven-carriaged heart. 1882 Contemp. Rev. Aug. 234 The 16 alternate or uneven-numbered sections in all townships. 1887 J. J. Hissey Holiday on Road i. 3 Weather-stained out~buildings, lichen-laden and uneven-roofed. 1905 Terms Forestry & Logging (Bull. U.S. Dept. Agric., Bureau Forestry, No. 61) 14 Forests in which the trees differ considerably in age..uneven-aged forest. 1953 H. L. Edlin Forester's Handbk. vii. 105 Woodlands may..be..uneven-aged, with trees of various ages and therefore differing sizes. Draft additions December 2004 uneven bars n. Gymnastics (chiefly North American) = asymmetric bars n. at asymmetric adj. Additions; cf. uneven parallel bars n. at Additions. ΚΠ 1952 N.Y. Times 21 Dec. v. 5/4 Uneven Bars—Margit Korondi, Hungary. 1974 Marysville (Ohio) Jrnl.-Tribune 26 Nov. 5/4 Olga did her famous back flip on the high uneven bar, and showed her highly flexible moves on the beam. 2003 K. G. Harmon in A. Rubin Sports Injuries & Emergencies xxxvii. 306 Hand position required to complete certain maneuvers, particularly on uneven bars, may place the shoulder or elbow at risk for dislocation. Draft additions December 2004 uneven parallel bars n. Gymnastics (chiefly North American) = asymmetric bars n. at asymmetric adj. Additions; cf. uneven bars n. at Additions. ΚΠ 1952 Amateur Athletic Union U.S. Gymnastics Yearbk. 81 You should start training immediately on the compulsory and optional exercises on the Uneven Parallel Bars. 1981 Gettysburg (Pa.) Times 26 May 14/1 The Gettysburg youth won a gold medal in the uneven parallel bar and a bronze medal for the balance beam. 2003 Dance Spirit July–Aug. 129/3 She was sidelined by a back injury after a dismount from the uneven parallel bars. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online June 2022). unevenv. Brit. /(ˌ)ʌnˈiːvn/, U.S. /ˌənˈivən/ Etymology: un- prefix² 1d(c). To make uneven. ΘΚΠ the world > space > shape > unevenness > make uneven [verb (transitive)] unevenc1440 jag1568 unlevela1586 rugged1628 cockle1686 c1440 Pallad. on Husb. x. 100 For eny thyng no beest vppon hit trede; Vneven hit they wolde, hit is to drede. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online March 2022). unevenadv. Brit. /(ˌ)ʌnˈiːvn/, U.S. /ˌənˈivən/ Etymology: Old English unefne ( < un- un- prefix¹ 5b + efne even adv. and prep.), = Middle Dutch onevene, -effene (obsolete Dutch oneven), Old Saxon unefno, Middle Low German unevene, -even, Middle High German unebene, -eben. = unevenly adv. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > unjustness > [adverb] unevenc1000 unrightOE unrightlyOE wronga1250 falsely1303 wrongouslyc1325 unskilfully1338 unskilwiselya1340 wrongly1340 unrightfullyc1350 wrongfullyc1374 unevenly1382 unjustlyc1384 unduly1399 slanderously1429 injustly1502 undeservedly1549 slanderfully1550 unequallya1599 unequitably1649 unfairly1713 iniquitably1742 inequitably1857 society > morality > rightness or justice > wrong or injustice > [adverb] > unfairly unevenc1000 unevenly1382 unequallya1599 unequitably1649 unfairly1713 iniquitably1742 unsportsmanlike1754 unsportsmanly1776 below the belt1844 inequitably1857 c1000 Ags. Ps. (1835) cxl. 9 Swa unefne is eorþe þicce. c1275 in Old Eng. Misc. 86/1 Weole, þu art awaried þing, vneuene constu dele. a1300 Cursor Mundi 24178 Þou..folus þam þat þe wald fle, And luues all þat letthes þe, þis part vneuen es delt. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 9 So stant the pes unevene parted. 1622 (?a1513) W. Dunbar Poems (Reidpeth) (1998) I. 243 The ballance gois vnevin. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.OEv.c1440adv.c1000
随便看	oneparty onepennied oneperson onepetalled onepiece onepip onepipe onepipper oneplace oneplace predicate oneplusone onepointed onepointedness onepole onepot onepound onepounder onepub oner onerable onerail onerailed onerarious onerary onerate

unevenadj.

Compounds

Draft additions December 2004

Draft additions December 2004

unevenv.

unevenadv.