unfold

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To open and spread out (something folded); extend.
2. v. To remove the coverings from; disclose to view.
3. v. To reveal gradually by written or spoken explanation; make known.
4. v. To become spread out; open out: Spring flowers unfolded everywhere.
5. v. To develop, as if by spreading out: A brilliant career unfolded.
6. v. To be revealed gradually to the understanding: A solution to the problem unfolded as they spoke.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To open the folds of; expand; spread out; change from a folded condition, in any sense of the word fold. To lay open to view or contemplation; make known in all the details; develop; disclose; reveal: as, to unfold one's designs; to unfold the principles of a science.
2. To show, or let be seen; display.
3. To become opened out; be spread apart; become disclosed or developed; develop itself.
4. To release from a fold or pen.

Wiktionary

1. v. To undo a folding.
2. v. intransitive To turn out to happen; to develop.
3. v. transitive To reveal.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To open the folds of; to expand; to spread out.
2. v. To open, as anything covered or close; to lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development; to display; to disclose; to reveal; to elucidate; to explain.
3. v. To release from a fold or pen.
4. v. To open; to expand; to become disclosed or developed.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. develop or come to a promising stage
2. v. spread out or open from a closed or folded state
3. v. open to the view
4. v. extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length