Dictionary

develop en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɖɪˈʋɛː.ləp/ (India)
• /ˈɖeʋᵊ.ləp/ (India)
• /dɪˈvɛl.əp/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Borrowed from French développer, from Middle French desveloper, from Old French desveloper, from des- + voloper, veloper, vloper (“to wrap, wrap up”) (compare Italian sviluppare, Old Italian alternative form goluppare (“to wrap”)) from Vulgar Latin *vloppō, *wloppō (“to wrap”) ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wrappaną, *wlappaną (“to wrap, roll up, turn, wind”), from Proto-Indo-European *werb- (“to turn, bend”) http://www.wordnik.com/words/envelop. Akin to Middle English wlappen (“to wrap, fold”) (Modern English lap (“to wrap, involve, fold”)), Middle English wrappen (“to wrap”), Middle Dutch lappen (“to wrap up, embrace”), dialectal Danish vravle (“to wind, twist”), Middle Low German wrempen (“to wrinkle, scrunch, distort”), Old English wearp (“warp”). The word acquired its modern meaning from the 17th-century belief that an egg contains the animal in miniature and matures by growing larger and shedding its envelopes.

Meanings

1. (archaic, impersonal, transitive) To discover, find out; to uncover.
   • The plaintiff's case on liability was pretty solid. One of the herbal ingredients in Vita-Pote turned out to have a well-recognized association with temporary impotence. When it developed that the defendant had never really investigated what the ingredients in Vita-Pote could do to men, the local legal pundits started saying there was no way the plaintiff could lose. 1999 September 1, Jim McElhaney, ABA Journal, volume 94, number 2, published 1 February 2008, page 24a:
   • ‘The mystery which I cannot develop, may by that time be removed […].’ 1791, Charlotte Smith, Celestina, Broadview, published 2004, page 176:
2. (intransitive) To change with a specific direction, progress.
   • Let's see how things develop and then make our decision.
3. (ambitransitive) To progress through a sequence of stages.
   • Isabel developed from a tropical depression to a tropical storm to a hurricane. An embryo develops into a fetus and then into an infant.
   • 1868-1869, Robert Owen, Comparative Anatomy and Physiology of Vertebrates All insects […] acquire the jointed legs before the wings are fully developed.
4. (transitive) To advance; to further; to promote the growth of.
   • We must develop our own resources to the utmost. 1881, Benjamin Jowett, Thucydides:
5. (transitive) To create.
   • I need to develop a plan for the next three weeks.
   • Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus.[…]A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale. 2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:
6. (transitive) To bring out images latent in photographic film.
   • Please develop this roll of film.
7. (transitive) To acquire something usually over a period of time.
   • You will develop calluses if you play the cello.
   • She developed bad eating habits.
   • I have been in England enough to develop a British accent.
8. (transitive) To place one's pieces actively.
   • I need to develop my white-square bishop.
9. To cause a ball to become more open and available to be played on later. Usually by moving it away from the cushion, or by opening a pack.
10. To change the form of (an algebraic expression, etc.) by executing certain indicated operations without changing the value.

Forms

Deriveds

developable · co-develop · developing · overdevelop · codevelop · development · underdevelop · developability · misdevelop · predevelop · redevelop · developer

Relateds

envelope · envelop

Synonyms

ferment · produce · cause · metamorphose · forthbring · forge · draw · develop · gin up · evolve · engender · transmogrify · evolve · create · generate · spawn · form · transfigurate · generate · transume · convert · transmute · contrive · make · contrive · transfigure · reconvert · bring forth · shift · innate · transform · shift · metamorphize · develop

Translations (214)

yi אַנטוויקלען (to progress through stages) · cs vyvíjet se (to progress through stages) · hu kifejleszt (to create) · hu fejlődik (to progress) · pl rozwijać się (to progress) · hu kifejleszt (to advance) · it sviluppare (to create) · lt vystytis (to progress) · yue 洗 (to bring out photographic images) · fa توسعه دادن (to progress) · uk розвива́ти (to progress through stages) · is þróa (to progress) · ms hasil (to progress) · fr se développer (to progress) · ms buat (to create) · ru проявля́ть (to bring out photographic images) · cmn 沖洗 /冲洗 (to bring out photographic images) · bg разработвам (to create) · et arenema (to progress) · he התפתח (to progress through stages) · fa ایجاد کردن؛ ساختن؛ تولید کردن (to create) · rm sviluppar (to create) · yi אַנטוויקלען (to create) · mi whakawhanake (to advance) · pt revelar (to bring out photographic images) · fr développer (to create) · sv framkalla (to bring out photographic images) · sh razvíjati (to progress through stages) · de entwickeln (to create) · it avanzare (to advance) · bg проявявам (to bring out photographic images) · izh kehittyä (to progress) · pl wypracować (to create) · mk развие (to progress) · ru развива́ть (to create) · cs vyvíjet (to create) · be развіва́ць (to progress through stages) · eo evoluigi (to progress through stages) · rm sviluppar (to progress) · sh ràzviti se (to progress) · mt żviluppa (to progress through stages) · ru развива́ть (to progress through stages) · be разві́цца (to progress) · cmn 形成 (to create) · pl rozwinąć się (to progress) · ru разви́ться (to progress through stages) · sh ра̀звити се (to progress) · de entwickeln (to bring out photographic images) · af ontwikkel (to bring out photographic images) · da udvikle (to create) · es desarrollar (to create) · yi אַנטוויקלען (to progress) · af ontwikkel (to progress) · mfe devlope (to progress) · sk rozviť sa (to progress) · th จำเริญ (to progress) · cs vyvíjet se (to progress) · mi whakapakari (to progress) · ht devlope (to progress) · gd fàs (to progress) · rm sviluppar (to progress through stages) · he התפתח (to progress) · fi kehittyä (to progress through stages) · hy զարգանալ (to progress) · de entwickeln (to progress through stages) · ro se dezvolta (to progress) · fr développer (to progress through stages) · izh kehittää (to progress) · sl razviti (to progress) · vi trưởng thành (to progress through stages) · sv utveckla ((chess) to place one's pieces actively) · th พัฒนา (to progress through stages) · hu alakul (to progress through stages) · pt criar (to create) · az inkişaf etmək (to progress) · khb ᦔᦳᧂᧈᦵᦓᦲᧂ (to advance) · es desarrollar (to advance) · eu garatu (to progress) · pt desenvolver (to create) · cs vyvolat (to bring out photographic images) · nl ontwikkelen (to bring out photographic images) · ca desenvolupar (to progress through stages) · bg разви́вам се (to progress) · shn ပူၵ်းပွင် (to progress) · la fingere (to create) · io developar (to progress) · uk прояви́ти (to bring out photographic images) · et arendama (to progress) · az inkişaf etmək (to progress through stages) · ms hasil (to progress through stages) · de entwickeln ((chess) to place one's pieces actively) · ca desenvolupar (to create) · mt żviluppa (to create) · nl zich ontwikkelen (to progress through stages) · sv utveckla (to progress) · sh razvíjati se (to progress) · ru разви́ться (to progress) · ru разви́ть (to progress through stages) · hu kialakít (to create) · vi hình thành (to create) · sl razviti (to progress through stages) · hu alakul (to progress) · nl ontwikkelen (to create) · sk vyvinúť (to progress through stages) · ru разви́ть ((chess) to place one's pieces actively) · sv utveckla (to create) · he פיתח (to bring out photographic images) · ar طَوَّرَ (to progress through stages) · gd fàs (to progress through stages) · sk rozviť (to progress through stages) · sk rozvíjať sa (to progress) · sl razviti (to create) · mi whakapakari (to progress through stages) · ko 발전하다 (to progress) · ka განვითარება (to progress) · pt fazer (to create) · gd leasaich (to progress through stages) · hu fejleszt (to advance) · khb ᦔᦳᧂᧈᦵᦓᦲᧂ (to progress) · sl razviti (to bring out photographic images) · lt lavintis (to progress) · it creare (to create) · fa ظاهر کردن (to bring out photographic images) · sk vyvíjať (to progress through stages) · uk розви́нутися (to progress) · ru разрабо́тать (to create) · uk розвива́тися (to progress) · it sviluppare (to progress) · ru развива́ться (to progress) · az inkişaf etdirmək (to progress through stages) · hu előhív (to bring out photographic images) · ast desarrollar (to progress) · mi whakapakari (to advance) · uk проявля́ти (to bring out photographic images) · vi phát triển (to progress) · it approfondire (to advance) · bg развива́м (to progress through stages) · bg развивам се (to progress through stages) · uk розви́ти (to progress through stages) · fi kehittää (to create) · fr développer (to bring out photographic images) · ru прояви́ть (to bring out photographic images) · th ทุเลา (to progress) · ja 発展する (to progress) · cs vyvíjet ((chess) to place one's pieces actively) · de entwickeln (to progress) · es desarrollarse (to progress) · tr gelişmek (to progress) · gl revelar (to bring out photographic images) · af ontwikkel (to progress through stages) · mwl zambolber (to progress) · pl rozwinąć (to advance) · ru разраба́тывать (to create) · de sich entwickeln (to progress through stages) · fr se développer ((chess) to place one's pieces actively) · el εμφανίζω (to bring out photographic images) · he פיתח (to create) · tr gelişmek (to progress through stages) · nl uitgroeien (to progress through stages) · cmn 發展 /发展 (to progress) · uk розви́нути (to progress through stages) · pt desenvolver (to progress) · fr se développer (to progress through stages) · tr geliştirmek (to create) · es revelar (to bring out photographic images) · ja 発達する (to progress) · mi whakawhanake (to create) · sv utvecklas (to progress through stages) · mt żviluppa (to progress) · be развіва́цца (to progress) · cmn 成長 /成长 (to progress through stages) · ru развива́ть ((chess) to place one's pieces actively) · sq zhvillohem (to progress through stages) · fr créer (to create) · eo disvolvigi (to create) · sh разви́јати (to progress through stages) · th พัฒนา (to progress) · da udvikle (to progress) · ast espoxigar (to progress) · fi kehittää (to progress) · az inkişaf etdirmək (to progress) · sh ràzviti (to progress through stages) · it accrescere (to progress through stages) · pl rozwijać (to advance) · ru развива́ться (to progress through stages) · pt desenvolver (to progress through stages) · ru разви́ть (to create) · lo ພັດທະນາ (to progress) · khb ᦂᦱᧉᦋᧄ (to progress) · lo ສ້າງສາ (to create) · hy զարգանալ (to progress through stages) · mi whakamaiangi (to advance) · sq zhvillohem (to progress) · sl razviti ((chess) to place one's pieces actively) · km ចម្រើនលូតលាស់ (to progress) · pl wywołać (to bring out photographic images) · sk rozvíjať (to progress through stages) · ms hasil (to create) · th สร้างสรรค์ (to create) · sh ра̀звити (to progress through stages) · nl ontwikkelen (to progress) · sq zhvilloj (to create) · ca desenvolupar (to progress) · fi kehittää (to bring out photographic images) · ms cuci (to bring out photographic images) · be разві́ць (to progress through stages) · eo evoluigi (to create) · el αναπτύσσω (to progress) · la creare (to create) · it sviluppare (to bring out photographic images) · eo disvolviĝi (to progress) · khb ᦉᦱᧂᧉᦶᦎᧂᧈ (to advance) · tr develope etmek (to bring out photographic images) · sh разви́јати се (to progress)