unfold

Etymology

From Middle English unfolden, from Old English unfealdan (“to unfold”), equivalent to un- + fold.

verb

1. To undo a folding.
   to unfold a map; to unfold a tablecloth; she unpacks the new dress and unfolds it carefully
   Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess
2. (intransitive) To turn out; to happen; to develop.
   Memento unfolds over 22 scenes—or, more accurately, 22 strands of time, the main strand (in color) moving backward in increments, and another strand (in black and white) going forward, though the two overlap profoundly. November 8 2012, Scott Tobias, “Memento’s puzzle structure hides big twists and bigger profundities”, in The AV Club
3. (transitive) To reveal.
4. To open (anything covered or closed); to lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development.
   to unfold one's designs; to unfold the principles of a science
5. To release from a fold or pen.
   to unfold sheep

noun

1. (computing, programming) In functional programming, a kind of higher-order function that is the opposite of a fold.