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.
6.
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).
9.
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
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.
To expand or enlarge: developed a national corporation into a worldwide business.
To aid in the growth of; strengthen: exercises that develop muscles.
To improve the quality of; refine: develops his recipes to perfection; an extra year of study to develop virtuosic technique.
To cause to become more complex or intricate; add detail and fullness to; elaborate: began with a good premise but developed it without imagination.
Music To elaborate (a theme) with rhythmic and harmonic variations.
To bring into being gradually: develop a new cottage industry.
To set forth or clarify by degrees: developed her thesis in a series of articles.
To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship.
To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia.
To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
To render (an image) visible by this means.
To cause to become more complex or intricate; add detail and fullness to; elaborate: began with a good premise but developed it without imagination.
Music To elaborate (a theme) with rhythmic and harmonic variations.
To bring into being gradually: develop a new cottage industry.
To set forth or clarify by degrees: developed her thesis in a series of articles.
To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship.
To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia.
To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
To render (an image) visible by this means.
To bring into being gradually: develop a new cottage industry.
To set forth or clarify by degrees: developed her thesis in a series of articles.
To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship.
To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia.
To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
To render (an image) visible by this means.
To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship.
To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia.
To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
To render (an image) visible by this means.
To cause gradually to acquire a specific role, function, or form, as:
To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation.
To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums.
To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population.
To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie.
To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
To render (an image) visible by this means.
Games To move (a chess piece) to or toward a more strategic position.
To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible.
To render (an image) visible by this means.
v.
intr.
To grow by degrees into a more advanced or mature state: With hard work, she developed into a great writer. See Synonyms at mature.
To increase or expand.
To improve; advance: Their skill developed until it rivaled their teacher's.
To progress from earlier to later stages of a life cycle: Caterpillars develop into butterflies.
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
To progress from earlier to later stages of a life cycle: Caterpillars develop into butterflies.
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.
de·vel·oped (dĭ-věl'əpt) adj. Advanced in industrial capability, technological sophistication, and economic productivity: traveled through the least developed areas of the world.
[di-vel-uh
p] 
