developer

developer — noun

1. a business or individual that purchases land or existing properties, builds new

1.名詞B2
釋義

a business or individual that purchases land or existing properties, builds new ones or renovates old ones, and then leases or sells them as a way of earning income

例句

Naoko works for a developer that is building new apartments on old factory sites.

collocation: property developer / real estate developer

The city sold waterfront land to a developer who plans to build a shopping centre.

同義詞
  • property developer

    more specific; implies focus on residential or commercial buildings

  • builder

    emphasises the construction work rather than the business side

  • contractor

    focuses on the construction contract, not necessarily land acquisition

文法句型

developer + of + [place/land]

用法筆記

Frequently used in business and news reporting. The compounds 'property developer' and 'real estate developer' are very common. Can refer either to an individual businessperson or to a construction company.

常見錯誤

❌The developer of this new drug took over ten years to complete.
✅The development of this new drug took over ten years to complete.
💡'developer' refers to the person or company doing the work, not to the process or duration.
❌The city approved the developer of a new park last week.
✅The city approved the development of a new park last week.
💡use 'development' when talking about the project or activity, not the person doing it.

2. someone whose professional work is writing computer code and building software p

2.名詞B1
釋義

someone whose professional work is writing computer code and building software programs, or more broadly any individual or firm that conceives and manufactures new products

例句

Ayana works as a software developer for a company that makes mobile games.

common phrase: software developer

The developer fixed a bug in the app that caused the screen to go blank.

同義詞
  • programmer

    focuses on writing code rather than the full product design

  • software engineer

    implies formal engineering methods and often a higher level of responsibility

  • coder

    informal term; emphasises the act of writing code

反義詞
  • user

    the person who uses the software rather than creating it

文法句型

software developer

web developer

game developer

用法筆記

By far the most common modern use of 'developer' without a modifier refers to a software developer. When the sense is about products other than software, the context usually names the industry (e.g. 'product developer', 'game developer').

常見錯誤

❌I want to become a developer of websites.
✅I want to become a web developer.
💡English prefers the compound noun 'web developer' or 'software developer' over the 'developer of X' pattern.
❌The developer returned my call and fixed my laptop.
✅The technician returned my call and fixed my laptop.
💡a developer writes code; a technician repairs hardware.

3. a chemical substance, usually a liquid, that is applied to exposed photographic

3.名詞C1
釋義

a chemical substance, usually a liquid, that is applied to exposed photographic film or paper to make the hidden image visible

例句

Xiu poured the developer into a tray and placed the film inside to process it.

technical noun: film developer

The photographer mixed the developer powder with water at exactly twenty degrees Celsius.

collocation: mix developer with water

同義詞
反義詞
  • fixer

    the chemical used after developer to make the image permanent and light-resistant

文法句型

film developer

developer solution

用法筆記

This technical sense is restricted to analogue photography. Usually uncountable when referring to the chemical as a substance ('some developer') but countable when referring to a specific product ('a good developer'). Fixer is a separate chemical used after developer.

常見錯誤

❌I need to buy more developer for my phone camera.
✅I need to buy more developer for my film camera.
💡this sense only applies to traditional film photography, not digital devices.

4. a child whose pattern of growth—physical, mental, or emotional—is at a particula

4.名詞B2
釋義

a child whose pattern of growth—physical, mental, or emotional—is at a particular stage or pace, usually described by a word such as 'early', 'late', or 'slow'

例句

Their son Caio was a slow developer but caught up with classmates by age five.

structure: adjective + developer (slow developer, early developer)

The doctor said their daughter is an early developer and may start reading before kindergarten.

文法句型

[adjective] + developer

early/late/slow developer

用法筆記

This sense always requires a preceding modifier (e.g. 'early', 'late', 'slow'). Never used without an adjective or similar qualifier. When describing a specific area, use the pattern '[adjective] developer with [area]' as in 'a slow developer with reading'.

常見錯誤

❌My son is a developer, so he needs extra help at school.
✅My son is a slow developer, so he needs extra help at school.
💡this sense always needs a modifier like 'early', 'late', or 'slow'; without one, readers will assume the software sense.