precociousadj.

Brit.

/prᵻˈkəʊʃəs/, U.S.

/prəˈkoʊʃəs/

Forms: 1600s– precocious, 1700s praecocious.

Origin: A borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element. Etymons: Latin praecoc- , praecox , -ious suffix.

Etymology: < classical Latin praecoc-, praecox precoce adj. + -ious suffix. Compare slightly later precoce adj.

1. Of a plant: flowering, fruiting, etc., unusually early; spec. producing flowers before the leaves are developed. Also: (of flowers or fruit) appearing or produced unusually early; (of flowering or fruiting) occurring unusually early.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > by age or cycles > [adjective] > ripe or ripened > ripening or becoming ripe > ripening or flowering early

hasty1338

before-ripea1382

precoquea1398

premature?1440

rathe1572

hasting1578

rathe-ripe1578

precocious1650

precoce1658

rareripe1678

hastive1724

force-ripe1830

1650 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica (ed. 2) ii. vi. 79 Many precocious trees, and such as have their spring in the winter, may be found in most parts of Europe.

a1682 Sir T. Browne Certain Misc. Tracts (1684) 72 That there were precocious and early bearing Trees in Judæa, may be illustrated from some expressions in Scripture concerning precocious Figgs.

1858 New Englander (New Haven, Connecticut) Feb. 161 The apples are large and fair, and wonderfully precocious in bearing.

1864 D. Oliver Lessons Elem. Bot. ii. 227 A..tree, with..precocious hermaphrodite flowers.

1895 Science 5 Apr. 373/2 The autumnal blooming is a case of precocious development of a spring flower.

1904 Bot. Gaz. 38 357 The precocious flowering of starved or otherwise weakened individuals is a well-known phenomenon.

1933 Times 4 Apr. 19/4 The bronzy mist of spring hangs over the budding trees and the more precocious are already showing flower.

1957 M. Hadfield Brit. Trees 330 Probably the purple-leaved form is the most commonly planted cherry plum to-day, on account of its pretty, precocious flowers.

2004 Plant Jrnl. 37 209 Normally, plants flower at a particular season, reflecting day length... However, plants can surpass this seasonal regulation and show precocious flowering.

2. figurative and in extended use.

a. Of, relating to, or indicative of precocity or premature development; occurring prematurely.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > source or principle of life > age > maturity > [adjective] > relating to early maturity

precocious1663

1663 J. Spencer Disc. Prodigies v. 75 There will be time enough to enjoy our happiness when it shall be present we need not deflowr it, by a precocious joy, before we are espous'd unto it.

a1682 Sir T. Browne Let. to Friend (1690) 9 'Tis superfluous to live unto gray Hairs, when in a precocious Temper we anticipate the Virtues of them.

a1722 E. Lisle Observ. Husb. (1757) I. 43 The maintenance corn must depend on is the innate digested salts of the earth,..which are not to be obtained by the præcocious way, the same year the land is dunged.

1827 T. B. Macaulay Machiavelli in Ess. (1887) 36 Untimely decrepitude was the penalty of precocious maturity.

1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VII. 668 ‘Specific’ phenomena are more commonly observed within a comparatively short time from the date of infection in which case they are not rightly regarded as ‘precocious’ symptoms.

1949 H. W. C. Vines Green's Man. Pathol. (ed. 17) xxxii. 884 Tumours of it are associated with precocious puberty..and overgrowth of the genital organs.

1974 J. White tr. N. Poulantzas Fascism & Dictatorship iii. iii. 116 The process of capital concentration was less advanced in Italy than in Germany, and somewhat precocious.

1997 G. S. Helfman et al. Diversity of Fishes vii. 97/2 The combination of chemicals in pulp-mill effluent has been linked to..precocious development of adult male traits in juvenile American eels.

b. Of a person (now esp. a child): prematurely developed or showing an unusual degree of advancement in some faculty, ability, or proclivity; (hence, of attributes, behaviour, etc.) indicative of such development.Now frequently mildly derogatory, with connotations of overconfidence, self-assertiveness, or pretension.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > source or principle of life > age > maturity > [adjective] > relating to early maturity > prematurely mature

forward1591

rathe-ripe1617

precocious1678

precoce1689

force-ripe1934

1678 R. Cudworth True Intellect. Syst. Universe i. iv. 388 However it hath been of late so much decried..by..Precocious and Conceited Wits also, as Non-sence and Impossibility.

1704 S. Lowth Εκλογαι 68 If it be proved, as the Precocious Reflector concludes, that Mr. Dodwell was no member of the Church of England, [etc.].

1799 Public Characters of 1798 32 The future historian..will dwell with ardour on the early promise of genius, the precocious talents of the boy.

1829 E. Bulwer-Lytton Devereux I. i. v. 46 We were all three..precocious geniuses.

a1863 W. M. Thackeray Christmas Bks. (1872) 19 His ‘Love Lays’..were pronounced to be wonderfully precocious for a young gentleman then only thirteen.

1868 E. Edwards Life Sir W. Ralegh I. xv. 299 She was somewhat precocious in love matters.

1929 W. Deeping Roper's Row ix. 96 He always was a precocious little scut.

1952 J. Steinbeck East of Eden xxxvi. 421 Adults were impressed with what seemed to them a precocious maturity.

1994 Q Aug. 67/2 ‘When you're in the public eye,’ he sighs, ‘people like to make fun of you.’ Presumably for being a chubby, precocious tot,..and a member of an over-toothy, goody two-shoes family.

3. Zoology.

†a.

(a) Of the developmental stage of an insect: appearing at an earlier point in the life cycle than normal. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

?a1808 Universal Syst. Nat. Hist. XIII. 423 This seeming egg [sc. of a hippoboscid fly] may be rather considered as a pupa, since it undergoes no farther alteration of form: the figure of this precocious pupa is that of an oval.

(b) Of a radiolarian: having a nucleus which divides relatively early in its life cycle, i.e. long before the cell divides. Obsolete. rare.

ΚΠ

1900 Jrnl. Quekett Microsc. Club 7 260 All the social or colonial Radiolarians (Polycyttaria) and most of the Acantharia are precocious, for in them the nucleus divides early in the life history of the cell.

b. Chiefly Ornithology = precocial adj.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > family unit > [adjective] > young > living independent of parent

free-living1860

autophagous1873

precocious1897

precocial1932

the world > animals > birds > young bird > [adjective] > bearing well-developed young

precocial1869

precocious1897

nidifugous1902

1897 T. J. Parker & W. A. Haswell Text-bk. Zool. II. xiii. 382 The newly-hatched young may be..well covered with down and able to run or swim and to obtain their own food, in which case they are said to be precocious.

1964 Amer. Naturalist 98 175 Those highly precocious animals which do not have any contact with their parents or adults of their own kind (as in the case of the megapods or in many reptiles).

1970 R. A. Maier & B. M. Maier Compar. Animal Behavior ix. 193 Domestic chicks are precocious (well developed at hatching).

1999 High Country News 30 Aug. 8/1 These precocious males [sc. salmon] are known as ‘jacks’ and are typically smaller than other adults.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	precocious
释义	precociousadj. Brit. /prᵻˈkəʊʃəs/, U.S. /prəˈkoʊʃəs/ Forms: 1600s– precocious, 1700s praecocious. Origin: A borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element. Etymons: Latin praecoc- , praecox , -ious suffix. Etymology: < classical Latin praecoc-, praecox precoce adj. + -ious suffix. Compare slightly later precoce adj. 1. Of a plant: flowering, fruiting, etc., unusually early; spec. producing flowers before the leaves are developed. Also: (of flowers or fruit) appearing or produced unusually early; (of flowering or fruiting) occurring unusually early. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > by age or cycles > [adjective] > ripe or ripened > ripening or becoming ripe > ripening or flowering early hasty1338 before-ripea1382 precoquea1398 premature?1440 rathe1572 hasting1578 rathe-ripe1578 precocious1650 precoce1658 rareripe1678 hastive1724 force-ripe1830 1650 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica (ed. 2) ii. vi. 79 Many precocious trees, and such as have their spring in the winter, may be found in most parts of Europe. a1682 Sir T. Browne Certain Misc. Tracts (1684) 72 That there were precocious and early bearing Trees in Judæa, may be illustrated from some expressions in Scripture concerning precocious Figgs. 1858 New Englander (New Haven, Connecticut) Feb. 161 The apples are large and fair, and wonderfully precocious in bearing. 1864 D. Oliver Lessons Elem. Bot. ii. 227 A..tree, with..precocious hermaphrodite flowers. 1895 Science 5 Apr. 373/2 The autumnal blooming is a case of precocious development of a spring flower. 1904 Bot. Gaz. 38 357 The precocious flowering of starved or otherwise weakened individuals is a well-known phenomenon. 1933 Times 4 Apr. 19/4 The bronzy mist of spring hangs over the budding trees and the more precocious are already showing flower. 1957 M. Hadfield Brit. Trees 330 Probably the purple-leaved form is the most commonly planted cherry plum to-day, on account of its pretty, precocious flowers. 2004 Plant Jrnl. 37 209 Normally, plants flower at a particular season, reflecting day length... However, plants can surpass this seasonal regulation and show precocious flowering. 2. figurative and in extended use. a. Of, relating to, or indicative of precocity or premature development; occurring prematurely. ΘΚΠ the world > life > source or principle of life > age > maturity > [adjective] > relating to early maturity precocious1663 1663 J. Spencer Disc. Prodigies v. 75 There will be time enough to enjoy our happiness when it shall be present we need not deflowr it, by a precocious joy, before we are espous'd unto it. a1682 Sir T. Browne Let. to Friend (1690) 9 'Tis superfluous to live unto gray Hairs, when in a precocious Temper we anticipate the Virtues of them. a1722 E. Lisle Observ. Husb. (1757) I. 43 The maintenance corn must depend on is the innate digested salts of the earth,..which are not to be obtained by the præcocious way, the same year the land is dunged. 1827 T. B. Macaulay Machiavelli in Ess. (1887) 36 Untimely decrepitude was the penalty of precocious maturity. 1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VII. 668 ‘Specific’ phenomena are more commonly observed within a comparatively short time from the date of infection in which case they are not rightly regarded as ‘precocious’ symptoms. 1949 H. W. C. Vines Green's Man. Pathol. (ed. 17) xxxii. 884 Tumours of it are associated with precocious puberty..and overgrowth of the genital organs. 1974 J. White tr. N. Poulantzas Fascism & Dictatorship iii. iii. 116 The process of capital concentration was less advanced in Italy than in Germany, and somewhat precocious. 1997 G. S. Helfman et al. Diversity of Fishes vii. 97/2 The combination of chemicals in pulp-mill effluent has been linked to..precocious development of adult male traits in juvenile American eels. b. Of a person (now esp. a child): prematurely developed or showing an unusual degree of advancement in some faculty, ability, or proclivity; (hence, of attributes, behaviour, etc.) indicative of such development.Now frequently mildly derogatory, with connotations of overconfidence, self-assertiveness, or pretension. ΘΚΠ the world > life > source or principle of life > age > maturity > [adjective] > relating to early maturity > prematurely mature forward1591 rathe-ripe1617 precocious1678 precoce1689 force-ripe1934 1678 R. Cudworth True Intellect. Syst. Universe i. iv. 388 However it hath been of late so much decried..by..Precocious and Conceited Wits also, as Non-sence and Impossibility. 1704 S. Lowth Εκλογαι 68 If it be proved, as the Precocious Reflector concludes, that Mr. Dodwell was no member of the Church of England, [etc.]. 1799 Public Characters of 1798 32 The future historian..will dwell with ardour on the early promise of genius, the precocious talents of the boy. 1829 E. Bulwer-Lytton Devereux I. i. v. 46 We were all three..precocious geniuses. a1863 W. M. Thackeray Christmas Bks. (1872) 19 His ‘Love Lays’..were pronounced to be wonderfully precocious for a young gentleman then only thirteen. 1868 E. Edwards Life Sir W. Ralegh I. xv. 299 She was somewhat precocious in love matters. 1929 W. Deeping Roper's Row ix. 96 He always was a precocious little scut. 1952 J. Steinbeck East of Eden xxxvi. 421 Adults were impressed with what seemed to them a precocious maturity. 1994 Q Aug. 67/2 ‘When you're in the public eye,’ he sighs, ‘people like to make fun of you.’ Presumably for being a chubby, precocious tot,..and a member of an over-toothy, goody two-shoes family. 3. Zoology. †a. (a) Of the developmental stage of an insect: appearing at an earlier point in the life cycle than normal. Obsolete. ΚΠ ?a1808 Universal Syst. Nat. Hist. XIII. 423 This seeming egg [sc. of a hippoboscid fly] may be rather considered as a pupa, since it undergoes no farther alteration of form: the figure of this precocious pupa is that of an oval. (b) Of a radiolarian: having a nucleus which divides relatively early in its life cycle, i.e. long before the cell divides. Obsolete. rare. ΚΠ 1900 Jrnl. Quekett Microsc. Club 7 260 All the social or colonial Radiolarians (Polycyttaria) and most of the Acantharia are precocious, for in them the nucleus divides early in the life history of the cell. b. Chiefly Ornithology = precocial adj. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > family unit > [adjective] > young > living independent of parent free-living1860 autophagous1873 precocious1897 precocial1932 the world > animals > birds > young bird > [adjective] > bearing well-developed young precocial1869 precocious1897 nidifugous1902 1897 T. J. Parker & W. A. Haswell Text-bk. Zool. II. xiii. 382 The newly-hatched young may be..well covered with down and able to run or swim and to obtain their own food, in which case they are said to be precocious. 1964 Amer. Naturalist 98 175 Those highly precocious animals which do not have any contact with their parents or adults of their own kind (as in the case of the megapods or in many reptiles). 1970 R. A. Maier & B. M. Maier Compar. Animal Behavior ix. 193 Domestic chicks are precocious (well developed at hatching). 1999 High Country News 30 Aug. 8/1 These precocious males [sc. salmon] are known as ‘jacks’ and are typically smaller than other adults. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.1650
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