de·vel·op (d -v l  p)v. de·vel·oped, de·vel·op·ing, de·vel·ops v.tr. 1. To bring from latency to or toward fulfillment: an instructor who develops the capabilities of each student. 2. a. To expand or enlarge: developed a national corporation into a worldwide business. b. To aid in the growth of; strengthen: exercises that develop muscles. c. To improve the quality of; refine: develops his recipes to perfection; an extra year of study to develop virtuosic technique. 3. a. To cause to become more complex or intricate; add detail and fullness to; elaborate: began with a good premise but developed it without imagination. b. Music To elaborate (a theme) with rhythmic and harmonic variations. 4. a. To bring into being gradually: develop a new cottage industry. b. To set forth or clarify by degrees: developed her thesis in a series of articles. 5. a. To come to have gradually; acquire: develop a taste for opera; develop a friendship. b. To become affected with; contract; developed a rash; developed agoraphobia. 6. To cause gradually to acquire a specific role, function, or form, as: a. To influence the behavior of toward a specific end: an investigator who develops witnesses through flattery and intimidation. b. To cause (a tract of land) to serve a particular purpose: developed the site as a community of condominiums. c. To make available and effective to fulfill a particular end or need: develop the state's water resources to serve a growing population. d. To convert or transform: developed the play into a movie. 7. Games To move (a chess piece) to or toward a more strategic position. 8. a. To process (a photosensitive material), especially with chemicals, in order to render a recorded image visible. b. To render (an image) visible by this means. v.intr. 1. a. To grow by degrees into a more advanced or mature state: With hard work, she developed into a great writer. See Synonyms at mature. b. To increase or expand. c. To improve; advance: Their skill developed until it rivaled their teacher's. 2. To come gradually into existence or activity: Tension developed between students and faculty. 3. To come gradually to light; be disclosed: reports the news as it develops. 4. Biology a. To progress from earlier to later stages of a life cycle: Caterpillars develop into butterflies. b. 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. |
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