verb

1. come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes)

e.g. He grew a beard
The patient developed abdominal pains
I got funny spots all over my body
Well-developed breasts

Synonym: growproducegetacquire

2. change the use of and make available or usable

e.g. develop land
The country developed its natural resources
The remote areas of the country were gradually built up

Synonym: build up

3. expand in the form of a series

e.g. Develop the function in the following form

4. grow, progress, unfold, or evolve through a process of evolution, natural growth, differentiation, or a conducive environment

e.g. A flower developed on the branch
The country developed into a mighty superpower
The embryo develops into a fetus
This situation has developed over a long time

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

e.g. The perfect climate here develops the grain
He developed a new kind of apple

Synonym: make grow

6. happen

e.g. Report the news as it develops
These political movements recrudesce from time to time

Synonym: breakrecrudesce

7. be gradually disclosed or unfolded
become manifest

e.g. The plot developed slowly

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

e.g. develop the melody and change the key

9. become technologically advanced

e.g. Many countries in Asia are now developing at a very fast pace
Viet Nam is modernizing rapidly

Synonym: modernizemodernise

10. grow emotionally or mature

e.g. The child developed beautifully in her new kindergarten
When he spent a summer at camp, the boy grew noticeably and no longer showed some of his old adolescent behavior

Synonym: grow

11. gain through experience

e.g. I acquired a strong aversion to television
Children must develop a sense of right and wrong
Dave developed leadership qualities in his new position
develop a passion for painting

Synonym: acquireevolve

12. create by training and teaching

e.g. The old master is training world-class violinists
we develop the leaders for the future

Synonym: trainprepareeducate

13. elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses

e.g. Could you develop the ideas in your thesis

Synonym: explicateformulate

14. move into a strategically more advantageous position

e.g. develop the rook

15. move one's pieces into strategically more advantageous positions

e.g. Spassky developed quickly

16. superimpose a three-dimensional surface on a plane without stretching, in geometry

17. generate gradually

e.g. We must develop more potential customers
develop a market for the new mobile phone

18. work out

e.g. We have developed a new theory of evolution

Synonym: evolvegerminate

19. make something new, such as a product or a mental or artistic creation

e.g. Her company developed a new kind of building material that withstands all kinds of weather
They developed a new technique

20. make visible by means of chemical solutions

e.g. Please develop this roll of film for me

21. come into existence
take on form or shape

e.g. A new religious movement originated in that country
a love that sprang up from friendship
the idea for the book grew out of a short story
An interesting phenomenon uprose

Synonym: originateariseriseuprisespring upgrow