English verb: devolve | |||
| 1. | devolve (social) pass on or delegate to another | ||
| Samples | The representative devolved his duties to his aides while he was in the hospital. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something to somebody | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | assign, delegate, depute, designate | ||
| 2. | devolve (possession) be inherited by | ||
| Samples | The estate fell to my sister. The land returned to the family. The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead. | ||
| Synonyms | fall, pass, return | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s somebody | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | change hands, change owners | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | fall, light | ||
| Verb group | accrue, fall | ||
| 3. | devolve (body) grow worse | ||
| Samples | Her condition deteriorated. Conditions in the slums degenerated. The discussion devolved into a shouting match. | ||
| Synonyms | degenerate, deteriorate, drop | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | decline, worsen | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | fade, fatigue, jade, languish, pall, rot, tire, waste, weary | ||
| Antonyms | convalesce, recover, recuperate | ||