[sophacles]

Evolve is a word much older than Darwin. It means "develop gradually". My opinion can evolve. My code can evolve. My body can evolve.

It does not now, nor has it ever, meant strictly the biological notion you limited it to above. The GP post used the word correctly.

[comicjk]

If I assert that a man runs, I might mean that he flows under pressure, but you would probably interpret me to mean that he moves quickly on his feet. "An organism evolving" similarly tends toward one particular meaning. When you then say you mean to be "within the bounds of scientific discourse," how can you blame someone for thinking you are using the scientific definition?

[sophacles]

When you then say you mean to be "within the bounds of scientific discourse,"

I said no such thing. I am not the person who used the word "evolve". I merely am capable of understanding that sometimes pedantry doesn't actually help anything.

[saraid216]

So why did you respond to pedantry with more pedantry?

[mrqwerty]

Evolve means gradual change to me. For the more sophisticated amongst us, we are able to take the root meaning of the word and understand it's implication in different contexts.

[sophacles]

My statement sometimes pedantry doesn't actually help anything implies that sometimes it does help things. IMO this was one of those occasions.