develop definition | Dictionary.com

de⋅vel⋅op

[di-vel-uh

–verb (used with object)

1.	to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state: to develop natural resources; to develop one's musical talent.

2.	to cause to grow or expand: to develop one's muscles.

3.	to elaborate or expand in detail: to develop a theory.

4.	to bring into being or activity; generate; evolve.

5.	Drafting. to transfer the details of (a more or less two-dimensional design, pattern, or the like) from one surface, esp. one that is prismatic or cylindrical, onto another, usually planar, in such a way that the distances between points remain the same.

Biology.

a.	to cause to go through the process of natural evolution from a previous and lower stage.

b.	to cause to progress from an embryonic to an adult form.

7.	Mathematics. to express in an extended form, as in a series.

8.	Music. to unfold, by various technical means, the inherent possibilities of (a theme).

Photography.

a.	to render visible (the latent image on an exposed film or the like).

b.	to treat (an exposed film or the like) with chemicals so as to render the latent image visible.

10.	Chess. to bring (a piece) into effective play, esp. during the initial phase of a game when pieces are moved from their original position on the board: He developed his rook by castling.

11.	Mining. to prepare (a new mine) for working by digging access openings and building necessary structures.

–verb (used without object)

12.	to grow into a more mature or advanced state; advance; expand: She is developing into a good reporter.

13.	to come gradually into existence or operation; be evolved.

14.	to be disclosed; become evident or manifest: The plot of the novel developed slowly.

15.	to undergo developing, as a photographic film.

16.

Biology.

a.	to progress from an embryonic to an adult form.

b.	to progress from earlier to later stages of ontogeny or phylogeny.

c.	to reach sexual maturity.

Origin:
1585–95; < MF développer, OF desveloper, equiv. to des- dis- ¹ + voloper to wrap up; see envelop

Related forms:

de⋅vel⋅op⋅a⋅ble, adjective

de⋅vel⋅op⋅a⋅bil⋅i⋅ty, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source

Link To develop

de·vel·op (dĭ-věl'əp)

v. de·vel·oped, de·vel·op·ing, de·vel·ops

v. tr.

To bring from latency to or toward fulfillment: an instructor who develops the capabilities of each student.
1. To expand or enlarge: developed a national corporation into a worldwide business.
2. To aid in the growth of; strengthen: exercises that develop muscles.
3. To improve the quality of; refine: develops his recipes to perfection; an extra year of study to develop virtuosic technique.
4. To cause to become more complex or intricate; add detail and fullness to; elaborate: began with a good premise but developed it without imagination.
5. Music To elaborate (a theme) with rhythmic and harmonic variations.
6. To bring into being gradually: develop a new cottage industry.
7. To set forth or clarify by degrees: developed her thesis in a series of articles.
8. To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship.
9. To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia.
10. To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
11. To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
12. To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
13. To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
14. To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
15. To render (an image) visible by this means.
1. To cause to become more complex or intricate; add detail and fullness to; elaborate: began with a good premise but developed it without imagination.
2. Music To elaborate (a theme) with rhythmic and harmonic variations.
3. To bring into being gradually: develop a new cottage industry.
4. To set forth or clarify by degrees: developed her thesis in a series of articles.
5. To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship.
6. To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia.
7. To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
8. To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
9. To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
10. To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
11. To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
12. To render (an image) visible by this means.
1. To bring into being gradually: develop a new cottage industry.
2. To set forth or clarify by degrees: developed her thesis in a series of articles.
3. To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship.
4. To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia.
5. To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
6. To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
7. To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
8. To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
9. To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
10. To render (an image) visible by this means.
1. To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship.
2. To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia.
3. To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
4. To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
5. To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
6. To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
7. To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
8. To render (an image) visible by this means.
To cause gradually to acquire a specific role, function, or form, as:
1. To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
2. To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
3. To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
4. To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
5. To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
6. To render (an image) visible by this means.
Games To move (a chess piece) to or toward a more strategic position.
1. To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
2. To render (an image) visible by this means.

v. intr.

1. To grow by degrees into a more advanced or mature state: With hard work, she developed into a great writer. See Synonyms at mature.
2. To increase or expand.
3. To improve; advance: Their skill developed until it rivaled their teacher's.
4. To progress from earlier to later stages of a life cycle: Caterpillars develop into butterflies.
5. To progress from earlier to later or from simpler to more complex stages of evolution.
To come gradually into existence or activity: Tension developed between students and faculty.
To come gradually to light; be disclosed: reports the news as it develops.
Biology
1. To progress from earlier to later stages of a life cycle: Caterpillars develop into butterflies.
2. To progress from earlier to later or from simpler to more complex stages of evolution.

[French développer, from Old French desveloper : des-, dis- + voloper, to wrap (possibly of Celtic origin).]
de·vel'op·a·ble adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Develop

De*vel"op\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Developed; p. pr. & vb. n. Developing.] [F. d['e]veloper; d['e]- (L. dis-) + OF. voluper, voleper, to envelop, perh. from L. volup agreeably, delightfully, and hence orig., to make agreeable or comfortable by enveloping, to keep snug (cf. Voluptuous); or. perh. fr. a derivative of volvere, volutum, to roll (cf. Devolve). Cf. Envelop.] [Written also develope.]

1. To free from that which infolds or envelops; to unfold; to lay open by degrees or in detail; to make visible or known; to disclose; to produce or give forth; as, to develop theories; a motor that develops 100 horse power.

These serve to develop its tenets. --Milner.

The 20th was spent in strengthening our position and developing the line of the enemy. --The Century.

2. To unfold gradually, as a flower from a bud; hence, to bring through a succession of states or stages, each of which is preparatory to the next; to form or expand by a process of growth; to cause to change gradually from an embryo, or a lower state, to a higher state or form of being; as, sunshine and rain develop the bud into a flower; to develop the mind.

The sound developed itself into a real compound. --J. Peile.

All insects . . . acquire the jointed legs before the wings are fully developed. --Owen.

3. To advance; to further; to prefect; to make to increase; to promote the growth of.

We must develop our own resources to the utmost. --Jowett (Thucyd).

4. (Math.) To change the form of, as of an algebraic expression, by executing certain indicated operations without changing the value.

5. (Photog.) To cause to become visible, as an invisible or latent image upon plate, by submitting it to chemical agents; to bring to view.

To develop a curved surface on a plane (Geom.), to produce on the plane an equivalent surface, as if by rolling the curved surface so that all parts shall successively touch the plane.

Syn: To uncover; unfold; evolve; promote; project; lay open; disclose; exhibit; unravel; disentangle.

Develop

De*vel"op\, v. i. 1. To go through a process of natural evolution or growth, by successive changes from a less perfect to a more perfect or more highly organized state; to advance from a simpler form of existence to one more complex either in structure or function; as, a blossom develops from a bud; the seed develops into a plant; the embryo develops into a well-formed animal; the mind develops year by year.

Nor poets enough to understand That life develops from within. --Mrs. Browning.

2. To become apparent gradually; as, a picture on sensitive paper develops on the application of heat; the plans of the conspirators develop.

Language Translation for : develop

Spanish: desarrollar(se),

German: (sich) entwickeln,

Japanese: 発達する

More Translations »

develop

1656, "unroll, unfold," from Fr. developper, replacing Eng. disvelop (1592, from M.Fr. desveloper), both from O.Fr. desveloper, from des- "undo" + veloper "wrap up," of uncertain origin, possibly Celt. or Gmc. Modern figurative use is 18c. The photographic sense is from 1845; the real estate sense is from 1890. Development first attested 1756.

Main Entry: de·vel·op
Pronunciation: di-'vel-&p
Function: transitive verb
1 a : to cause or undergo the growth, strengthening, orenlargement of <developed their muscles by weight lifting> b : to cause to grow and differentiate along lines natural to its kind developed into the adult plant or animal>
2 : to have (something) unfold or differentiate within one —used especially of diseases and abnormalities developed tuberculosis> develop intransitive senses
1 : to go through a process of natural growth, differentiation, or evolution bysuccessive stages develops normally> develops into a well-formed human being>
2 : to acquire secondary sexcharacteristics developing rapidly for a girl of 12>

develop de·vel·op (dĭ-věl'əp)
v. de·vel·oped, de·vel·op·ing, de·vel·ops

To progress from earlier to later stages of a life cycle.
To progress from earlier to later or from simpler to more complex stages of evolution.
To aid in the growth of; strengthen.
To grow by degrees into a more advanced or mature state.
To become affected with a disease; contract.

Search another word or see develop on Thesaurus | Reference

Visual Studio Team System
Collaborate Better. Develop Apps Faster-Defy All Challenges Together
Microsoft.com/VisualStudio

New: Organize Yourself -
Gain 3 hours every day, for life - They laughed at me until it worked!

OrganizeYourselfOnline.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Advertise with Us · Link to Us · NASCAR® · Contact Us