| 释义 |
prematurity|ˌpriː-, prɛməˈtjʊərɪtɪ|
[ad. F. prématurité (16th c. in Littré): see pre- A. 2 and maturity.]
The quality or fact of being premature.
†1. Of plants: Early ripening or flowering. Obs.
1611Cotgr., Prematurité, prematuritie; hastie ripenesse, quicke ripening, forward or timelie growth. 1707Curios. in Husb. & Gard. 265 Their Pre-maturity is very desirable.
2. a. Early development, esp. of mental or physical faculties; = precocity 2.
1778Warton Hist. Eng. Poetry (1840) II. xxvi. 359 He [Chatterton] will appear to have been a singular instance of a prematurity of abilities; to have acquired a store of general information far exceeding his years. 1779Burney in Phil. Trans. LXIX. 199 Another wonderful part of his pre-maturity was the being able at two years and four months old to transpose into the most extraneous and difficult keys whatever he played. 1823W. Faux Mem. Days in Amer. 121 Unnatural prematurity is here very common. Boys look grave, and talk, act, and dress like men. 1907Q. Rev. Apr. 455 Prematurity of thought and feeling has often an early grave.
b. An example of premature development.
1812Coleridge in Lit. Rem. (1836) I. 381 Of the few, the greater part are pre-maturities.
3. Undue earliness or haste (of any action or event); hastiness, precipitancy.
1706Phillips, Prematurity, the State, or Condition of that which is premature. a1797H. Walpole Mem. Geo. II (1847) II. iii. 81 The only prematurity was in getting the Bill ready against it was necessary. 1825Waddington Visit to Greece Introd. 58 The prematurity and consequent failure of Ypsilanti's expedition. 1876J. S. Bristowe The. & Pract. Med. (1878) 12 Their early sickliness and prematurity of death. 1899Westm. Gaz. 21 Aug. 6/1 There is a good deal of prematurity..about most of the rumours. 1927Times Lit. Suppl. 10 Feb. 90/3 Our advice is to save this book for a dismally wet afternoon: tea will arrive with a startling prematurity. 1961E. A. Powdrill Vocab. Land Planning iii. 45 The term ‘prematurity’ is used by planners, very often as a sort of delaying action in grounds of refusal. Ibid. 46 Thus, the term ‘prematurity’, used in the sense of preventing something from happening in advance of the proper time, also implies that at some future date the proposal could be approved.
4. Obstetrics. The birth of a baby before full term.
1875Trans. Edin. Obstetr. Soc. III. 260, I have seen nothing to warrant me viewing prematurity—that is, at and after the seventh month—as necessarily convertible with debility. 1902Brit. Med. Jrnl. 17 May 1196/2 In this contribution the type of prematurity which is considered is that of the infant expelled from the uterus at the seventh month of intrauterine life. 1937A. Tow Dis. of Newborn iii. 63 More careful antepartum care has definitely lowered the incidence of prematurity. 1971Sci. Amer. Oct. 118/2 Prematurity from spontaneous abortion, affecting approximately one pregnancy in 10, is the main source of mortality. |