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precocious

[ pri-koh-shuhs ]
/ prɪˈkoʊ ʃəs /
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adjective
unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development: a precocious child.
prematurely developed, as the mind, faculties, etc.
of or relating to premature development.
Botany.
  1. flowering, fruiting, or ripening early, as plants or fruit.
  2. bearing blossoms before leaves, as plants.
  3. appearing before leaves, as flowers.
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Origin of precocious

1640–50; Latin praecoci-, stem of praecox (see precocity) + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM precocious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use precocious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for precocious

precocious
/ (prɪˈkəʊʃəs) /

adjective
ahead in development, such as the mental development of a child
botany (of plants, fruit, etc) flowering or ripening early

Derived forms of precocious

precociously, adverbprecociousness or precocity (prɪˈkɒsɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for precocious

C17: from Latin praecox early maturing, from prae early + coquere to ripen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for precocious

precocious
[ prĭ-kōshəs ]

Relating to or having flowers that blossom before the leaves emerge. Some species of magnolias are precocious.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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