evolve

Universal Words verb 1 ~ (sth) (from sth) (into sth) to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form; to develop sth in this way: [V] The idea evolved from a drawing I discovered in the attic. * The company has evolved into a major chemical manufacturer. * [VN] Each school must evolve its own way of working. 2 ~ (from sth) (biology) (of plants, animals, etc.) to develop gradually over many GENERATIONS from a simple form to a more complicated one: [V] The three species evolved from a single ancestor. * [VN] The dolphin has evolved a highly developed jaw.