develop

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   cause to grow and differentiate in ways conforming to its natural development

   The perfect climate here develops the grain

2. 2
   verb

   happen

   Report the news as it develops

3. 3
   verb

   elaborate by the unfolding of a musical idea and by the working out of the rhythmic and harmonic changes in the theme

   develop the melody and change the key

4. 4
   verb

   become technologically advanced

   Many countries in Asia are now developing at a very fast pace

5. 5
   verb

   grow emotionally or mature

   The child developed beautifully in their new kindergarten.

6. 6
   verb

   elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses

   Could you develop the ideas in your thesis

7. 7
   verb

   move into a strategically more advantageous position

   develop the rook

8. 8
   verb

   move one's pieces into strategically more advantageous positions

   Spassky developed quickly

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 l…