Lewis & Short

ē-volvo, volvi, vŏlūtum, 3 (per diaeresin ēvŏlŭam, Cat. 66, 74: ēvŏlŭisse, Ov. H. 12, 4), v. a., to roll out, roll forth; to unroll, unfold (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: (vis venti) Arbusta evolvens radicibus haurit ab imis, Lucr. 6, 141; cf. silvas, Ov. M. 12, 519: cadavera turribus, Luc. 6, 171: montes corpore, Ov. M. 5, 355: saxa nudis lacertis, Luc. 3, 481: intestina, Cels. 7, 16 et saep.: vestes, to open, unfold, Ov. M. 6, 581: volumen epistolarum, to open, Cic. Att. 9, 10, 4: panicum furfure, i. e. to cleanse, purge, Col. 2, 9 fin.: quae postquam evolvit, unfolds, evolves, Ov. M. 1, 24 et saep.: amnis prorutam in mare evolvendo terram praealtas voragines facit, Liv. 44, 8; cf. aquas (Araxes), Curt. 5, 4, 7.
        1. b. Evolvere se, or mid. evolvi, to roll out, roll forth, glide away: evolvere posset in mare se Xanthus, discharge itself, Verg. A. 5, 807; cf.: Danubius in Pontum vastis sex fluminibus evolvitur, empties, Plin. 4, 12, 24, § 79: species (anguis) evoluta repente, Liv. 26, 19, 7: per humum evolvuntur, roll themselves along, Tac. G. 39.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. To unroll and read a book: evolve diligenter ejus eum librum qui est de animo, Cic. Tusc. 1, 11, 24: volumina, Quint. 2, 15, 24: fastos, Hor. S. 1, 3, 112; Ov. F. 1, 657: versus, id. Tr. 2, 307: jocos, id. ib. 2, 238; cf. transf.: poëtas, Cic. Fin. 1, 21, 72; cf. auctores, Suet. Aug. 89: auctores penitus, Quint. 12, 2, 8: antiquitatem, Tac. Or. 29 fin.
      2. 2. To draw out a thread, i. e. to spin, said of the Fates: quae seriem fatorum pollice ducunt Longaque ferratis evolvunt saecula pensis, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 53; and pregn., to spin out, i. e. to spin to an end, said of the Fates: tunc, quae dispensant mortalia fata, sorores Debuerant fusos evoluisse meos, Ov. H. 12, 4.
      3. 3. To obtain, raise: in hoc triduo Aut terra aut mari alicunde aliqua evolvam argentum tibi, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 83.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen.: si qui voluerit animi sui complicatam notionem evolvere, to unroll, i. e. to clear up (the figure being taken from a book), Cic. Off. 3, 19, 76; cf.: exitum criminis, id. Cael. 23: promissa evolvit somni, i. e. turns over, revolves, Sil. 3, 216; cf.: secum femineos dolos, Sen. Agam. 116: evolutus integumentis dissimulationis (with nudatus), unwrapped, stripped, Cic. de Or. 2, 86, 350: evolutus bonis, robbed, Sen. Ep. 74; cf.: sede patria rebusque summis, Tac. A. 13, 15: ex praeda clandestina, driven away, Liv. 6, 15: nullo possum remedio me evolvere ex his turbis, Ter. Ph. 5, 4, 5: se omni turba, id. Eun. 4, 4, 56.
    2. B. In partic., to unfold, disclose, narrate: naturam rerum omnium, Cic. Ac. 2, 36: oras belli, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 178 ed. Vahl.): totam deliberationem accuratius, Cic. Att. 9, 10, 7: rem propositam, Quint. 1, 1, 20: condita pectoris, Cat. 66, 74: seriem fati, Ov. M. 15, 152: haec, Verg. G. 4, 509 et saep.; cf. with a rel.-clause, Lucr. 1, 954.
    3. C. To roll away, of time, i. e. to pass, elapse: evolutis multis diebus, Vulg. Gen. 38, 12: cum evolutus esset annus, id. 2 Par. 24, 23: evoluto tempore, id. Esth. 2, 15.