DEVOLVE

PRONUNCIATION: (di-VOLV)

MEANING:
verb tr., intr.: To transfer or be passed (duties, rights, powers, etc.) on to another.
verb intr.: To deteriorate or degenerate.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin devolvere (to roll down), from de- (down) + volvere (to roll). Ultimately from the Indo-European root wel- (to turn or roll), which also gave us waltz, revolve, valley, walk, vault, volume, wallet, helix, and voluble. Earliest documented use: 1420.


A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: I found one day in school a boy of medium size ill-treating a smaller boy. I expostulated, but he replied: 'The bigs hit me, so I hit the babies; that's fair.' In these words he epitomized the history of the human race. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (18 May 1872-1970)

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DEVOLE - remove those pesky Varmints from the lawn

DEVALVE - turn your trumpet into a bugle