From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Devolve \De*volve"\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Devolved}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Devolving}.] [L. devolvere, devolutum, to roll down; de + volvere to roll down; de + volvere to roll. See {Voluble}.]
1. To roll onward or downward; to pass on.
Every headlong stream Devolves its winding waters to the main. --Akenside.
Devolved his rounded periods. --Tennyson.
2. To transfer from one person to another; to deliver over; to hand down; -- generally with upon, sometimes with to or into.
They devolved a considerable share of their power upon their favorite. --Burke.
They devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of sixty. --Addison.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Devolve \De*volve"\, verb (used without an object) To pass by transmission or succession; to be handed over or down; -- generally with on or upon, sometimes with to or into; as, after the general fell, the command devolved upon (or on) the next officer in rank.
His estate . . . devolved to Lord Somerville. --Johnson.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
verb
1: pass on or delegate to another; "The representative devolved his duties to his aides while he was in the hospital"
2: be inherited by; "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" [syn: {fall}, {return}, {pass}]
3: grow worse; "Her condition deteriorated"; "Conditions in the slums degenerated"; "The discussion devolved into a shouting match" [syn: {deteriorate}, {drop}, {degenerate}] [ant: {recuperate}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
29 Moby Thesaurus words for "devolve": accredit, assign, authorize, change hands, change ownership, charge, charter, commission, commit, consign, delegate, depute, deputize, descend, detach, detail, devolute, devolve upon, empower, entrust, give in charge, license, mission, pass on, post, send out, succeed, transfer, warrant
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