Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EV'I-DENCE, n. [Fr. from L. evidentia, from video, to see. Class Bd.]

1. That which elucidates and enables the mind to see truth; proof arising from our own perceptions by the senses, or from the testimony of others, or from inductions of reason. Our senses furnish evidence of the existence of matter, of solidity, of color, of heat and cold, of a difference in the qualities of bodies, of figure, &c. The declarations of a witness furnish evidence of facts to a court and jury; and reasoning, or the deductions of the mind from facts or arguments, furnish evidence of truth or falsehood.
2. Any instrument or writing which contains proof. I delivered the evidence of the purchase to Baruch. Jer. xxxii. I subscribed the evidence and sealed it. Jer. xxxii.
3. A witness; one who testifies to a fact. This sense is improper and inelegant, though common, and found even in Johnson's writings.

EV'I-DENCE, v.t.

To elucidate; to prove; to make clear to the mind; to show in such a manner that the mind can apprehend the truth, or in a manner to convince it. The testimony of two witnesses is usually sufficient to evidence the guilt of an offender. The works of creation clearly evidence the existence of an infinite first cause.

EV'I-DENC-ED, pp.

Made clear to the mind; proved.

EV'I-DENC-ING, ppr.

Proving clearly; manifesting.

EV'I-DENT, a.

Plain; open to be seen; clear to the mental eye; apparent; manifest. The figures and colors of bodies are evident to the senses; their qualities may be made evident. The guilt of an offender can not always be made evident.

EV-I-DEN'TIAL, a.

Affording evidence; clearly proving. Scott.

EV'I-DENT-LY, adv.

Clearly; obviously; plainly; in a manner to be seen and understood; in a manner to convince the mind; certainly; manifestly. The evil of sin may be evidently proved by its mischievous effects.

E-VIG-I-LA'TION, n. [L. evigilatio.]

A waking or watching. [Little used.]

E'VIL, a. [e'vl; Sax. efel, yfel, or hyfel; D. euvel; G. übel; Arm. fall, goall. Qu. W. gwael, vile; Ir. feal. The Irish word is connected with feallaim, to fail, which may be allied to fall. Perhaps this is from a different root. Qu. Heb. Ch. and Syr. עול, to be unjust or injurious, to defraud, Ar. عَالَ to decline, and غَالَ to fall on or invade suddenly.]

1. Having bad qualities of a natural kind; mischievous; having qualities which tend to injury, or to produce mischief. Some evil beast hath devoured him. Gen. xxxvii.
2. Having bad qualities of a moral kind; wicked; corrupt; perverse; wrong; as, evil thoughts; evil deeds; evil speaking; an evil generation. Scripture.
3. Unfortunate; unhappy; producing sorrow, distress, injury or calamity; as, evil tidings; evil arrows; evil days. Scripture.

E'VIL, adv. [generally contracted to ill.]

1. Not well; not with justice or propriety; unsuitably. Evil it beseems thee. Shak.
2. Not virtuously; not innocently.
3. Not happily; unfortunately. It went evil with his house. Deut.
4. Injuriously; not kindly. The Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us. Deut. In composition, evil, denoting something bad or wrong, is often contracted to ill.

E'VIL, n.

1. Evil is natural or moral. Natural evil is any thing which produces pain, distress, loss or calamity, or which in any way disturbs the peace, impairs the happiness, or destroys the perfection of natural beings. Moral evil is any deviation of a moral agent from the rules of conduct prescribed to him by God, or by legitimate human authority; or it is any violation of the plain principles of justice and rectitude. There are also evils called civil, which affect injuriously the peace or prosperity of a city or state; and political evils, which injure a nation in its public capacity. All wickedness, all crimes, all violations of law and right are moral evils. Diseases are natural evils, but they often proceed from moral evils.
2. Misfortune; mischief; injury. There shall no evil befall thee. Ps. xci. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself. Prov. xxii.
3. Depravity; corruption of heart, or disposition to commit wickedness; malignity. The heart of the sons of men is full of evil. Eccles. ix.
4. Malady; as, the king's evil or scrofula.

E-VIL-AF-FECT'ED, a.

Not well disposed; unkind; now ill-affected.

E-VIL-BOD'ING, a.

Presaging evil.

E-VIL-DO'ER, n. [evil and doer, from do.]

One who does evil; one who commits sin, crime, or any moral wrong. They speak evil against you as evildoers. 1 Pet ii.

E'VIL-EY-ED, a. [evil and eye.]

Looking with an evil eye, or with envy, jealousy or bad design.

E-VIL-FA'VOR-ED, a. [evil and favor.]

Having a bad countenance or external appearance; ill-favored. Bacon.

E-VIL-FA'VOR-ED-NESS, n.

Deformity. Deut.

E'VIL-LY, adv.

Not well. [Little used.] Bp. Taylor.

E-VIL-MIND'ED, a. [evil and mind.]

Having evil dispositions or intentions; disposed to mischief or sin; malicious; malignant; wicked. Slanderous reports are propagated by evil-minded persons. [This word is in common use.]

E'VIL-NESS, n.

Badness; viciousness; malignity; as, evilness of heart; the evilness of sin.

E-VIL-O'MEN-ED, a.

Attended with unfavorable omens.

E-VIL-SPEAK'ING, n. [evil and speak.]

Slander; defamation; calumny; censoriousness. 1 Pet. ii.

E-VIL-WISH'ING, a. [evil and wish.]

Wishing harm to; as, an evilwishing mind. Sidney.

E-VIL-WORK'ER, n. [evil and work.]

One who does wickedness. Phil. iii.

E-VINCE', v.t. [evins'; L. evinco, to vanquish, to prove or show; e and vinco, to conquer.]

1. To show in a clear manner; to prove beyond any reasonable doubt; to manifest; to make evident. Nothing evinces the depravity of man more fully than his unwillingness to believe himself depraved.
2. To conquer. [Not in use.]