complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms: a mature rose bush.
2.
ripe, as fruit, or fully aged, as cheese or wine.
3.
fully developed in body or mind, as a person: a mature woman.
4.
pertaining to or characteristic of full development: a mature appearance; fruit with a mature softness.
5.
completed, perfected, or elaborated in full by the mind: mature plans.
6.
(of an industry, technology, market, etc.) no longer developing or expanding; having little or no potential for further growth or expansion; exhausted or saturated.
7.
intended for or restricted to adults, esp. by reason of explicit sexual content or the inclusion of violence or obscene language: mature movies.
8.
composed of adults, considered as being less susceptible than minors to explicit sexual content, violence, or obscene language, as of a film or stage performance: for mature audiences only.
9.
Finance. having reached the limit of its time; having become payable or due: a mature bond.
10.
Medicine/Medical.
a.
having attained definitive form or function, as by maturation of an epithelium from a basal layer.
b.
having attained the end stage of a normal or abnormal biological process: a mature boil.
11.
Geology. (of a landscape) exhibiting the stage of maximum topographical diversity, as in the cycle of erosion of a land surface.
–verb (used with object)
12.
to make mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.
13.
to bring to full development: His hard experiences in the city matured him.
14.
to complete or perfect.
–verb (used without object)
15.
to become mature; ripen, as fruit or cheese.
16.
to come to full development: Our plans have not yet matured.
17.
Finance. to become due, as a note.
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME < L mātūrus ripe, timely, early; akin to manes, matutinal]
Having reached full natural growth or development: a mature cell.
Having reached a desired or final condition; ripe: a mature cheese.
Suitable or intended for adults: mature subject matter.
Composed of adults: a mature audience.
Of, relating to, or characteristic of full development, either mental or physical: mature for her age.
Suitable or intended for adults: mature subject matter.
Composed of adults: a mature audience.
Worked out fully by the mind; considered: a mature plan of action.
Having reached the limit of its time; due: a mature bond.
No longer subject to great expansion or development. Used of an industry, a market, or a product.
Geology Having reached maximum development of form. Used of streams and landforms.
v.
ma·tured, ma·tur·ing, ma·tures
v.
tr.
To bring to full development; ripen.
To work out fully in the mind: "able to digest and mature my thoughts for my own mind only"(John Stuart Mill).
v.
intr.
To evolve toward or reach full development: The child's judgment matures as she grows older.
To become due. Used of notes and bonds.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mātūrus; see mā-1 in Indo-European roots.]
ma·ture'ly adv., ma·ture'ness n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to bring or come to full development or maximum excellence: maturing the wines in vats; aged the brandy for 100 years; developed the flavor slowly; fruits that were ripened on the vine.
1392, (implied in maturative), from L. maturare "to ripen," from maturus "ripe, timely, early," related to manus "good" and mane "early, of the morning" (see mañana). The financial sense of "reach the time for payment" is from 1861. The adj. is first recorded 1454, from the noun. Maturity (c.1375) is from L. maturitatem (nom. maturitas) "ripeness," from maturus "ripe."
Main Entry: 2mature Function: verb Inflected Forms: ma·tured; ma·tur·ing transitive senses : to bring to
maturity or completion matureintransitive senses : to become fully developed or ripe —maturernoun
Main Entry: 1ma·ture Pronunciation: m&-'t(y)u(&)r also -'chu(&)r Function: adjective Inflected Forms:
ma·tur·er; -est 1: having completed natural growth and development <a mature ovary> 2: having undergone maturation
<mature germ cells>
Main Entry: ma·ture Pronunciation: m&-'tur, -'chur Function: verb Inflected Forms: ma·tured; ma·tur·ing transitive verb
: to bring to maturity <a policy matured by the death of the insured> intransitive verb : to become due, payable, or enforceable; specifically: to entitle one
to immediate enjoyment of benefits <her pension right matured upon retirement> —compare VEST —matureadjective
De*mure"\, a. [Perh. from OF. de murs (i. e., de bonnes murs of good manners); de of + murs, mours, meurs, mors, F. m?urs, fr. L. mores (sing. mos) manners, morals (see Moral); or more prob. fr. OF. me["u]r, F. m[^u]r mature, ripe (see Mature) in a phrase preceded by de, as de m[^u]re conduite of mature conduct.]1. Of sober or serious mien; composed and decorous in bearing; of modest look; staid; grave. Sober, steadfast, and demure. --Milton. Nan was very much delighted in her demure way, and that delight showed itself in her face and in her clear bright eyes. --W. Black. 2. Affectedly modest, decorous, or serious; making a show of gravity. A cat lay, and looked so demure, as if there had been neither life nor soul in her. --L'Estrange. Miss Lizzy, I have no doubt, would be as demure and coquettish, as if ten winters more had gone over her head. --Miss Mitford.
Im`ma*ture"\, a. [L. immaturus; pref. im- not + maturus mature, ripe. See Mature.]1. Not mature; unripe; not arrived at perfection of full development; crude; unfinished; as, immature fruit; immature character; immature plans. "An ill-measured and immature counsel." --Bacon. 2. Premature; untimely; too early; as, an immature death. [R.] --Jer. Taylor.
Mat"u*rate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Maturated; p. pr. & vb. n. Maturating.] [L. maturatus, p. p. of maturare to make ripe, fr. maturus ripe, mature. See Mature, v. & a.]1. To bring to ripeness or maturity; to ripen. A tree may be maturated artificially. --Fuller. 2. To promote the perfect suppuration of (an abscess).
Ma*ture"\, a. [Compar. Maturer; superl. Maturest.] [L. maturus; prob. akin to E. matin.]1. Brought by natural process to completeness of growth and development; fitted by growth and development for any function, action, or state, appropriate to its kind; full-grown; ripe. Now is love mature in ear. --Tennison. How shall I meet, or how accost, the sage, Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age ? --Pope. 2. Completely worked out; fully digested or prepared; ready for action; made ready for destined application or use; perfected; as, a mature plan. This lies glowing, . . . and is almost mature for the violent breaking out. --Shak. 3. Of or pertaining to a condition of full development; as, a man of mature years. 4. Come to, or in a state of, completed suppuration. Syn: Ripe; perfect; completed; prepared; digested; ready. Usage: Mature, Ripe. Both words describe fullness of growth. Mature brings to view the progressiveness of the process; ripe indicates the result. We speak of a thing as mature when thinking of the successive stayes through which it has passed; as ripe, when our attention is directed merely to its state. A mature judgment; mature consideration; ripe fruit; a ripe scholar.
Ma*ture"\, a. [Compar. Maturer; superl. Maturest.] [L. maturus; prob. akin to E. matin.]1. Brought by natural process to completeness of growth and development; fitted by growth and development for any function, action, or state, appropriate to its kind; full-grown; ripe. Now is love mature in ear. --Tennison. How shall I meet, or how accost, the sage, Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age ? --Pope. 2. Completely worked out; fully digested or prepared; ready for action; made ready for destined application or use; perfected; as, a mature plan. This lies glowing, . . . and is almost mature for the violent breaking out. --Shak. 3. Of or pertaining to a condition of full development; as, a man of mature years. 4. Come to, or in a state of, completed suppuration. Syn: Ripe; perfect; completed; prepared; digested; ready. Usage: Mature, Ripe. Both words describe fullness of growth. Mature brings to view the progressiveness of the process; ripe indicates the result. We speak of a thing as mature when thinking of the successive stayes through which it has passed; as ripe, when our attention is directed merely to its state. A mature judgment; mature consideration; ripe fruit; a ripe scholar.
Ma*ture"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Matured; p. pr. & vb. n. Maturing.] [See Maturate, Mature.] To bring or hasten to maturity; to promote ripeness in; to ripen; to complete; as, to mature one's plans. --Bacon.
Ma*ture"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Matured; p. pr. & vb. n. Maturing.] [See Maturate, Mature.] To bring or hasten to maturity; to promote ripeness in; to ripen; to complete; as, to mature one's plans. --Bacon.
Ma*ture"\, v. i. 1. To advance toward maturity; to become ripe; as, wine matures by age; the judgment matures by age and experience. 2. Hence, to become due, as a note.
Pre`ma*ture"\, a. [L. praematurus; prae before + maturus ripe. See Mature.]1. Mature or ripe before the proper time; as, the premature fruits of a hotbed. 2. Happening, arriving, existing, or performed before the proper or usual time; adopted too soon; too early; untimely; as, a premature fall of snow; a premature birth; a premature opinion; premature decay. 3. Arriving or received without due authentication or evidence; as, a premature report. -- Pre`ma*ture"ly, adv. -- Pre`ma*ture"ness, n.
Ripe\ (r[imac]p), a. [Compar. Riper (-[~e]r); superl. Ripest.] [AS. r[=i]pe; akin to OS. r[=i]pi, D. rijp, G. rief, OHG. r[=i]ft; cf. AS. r[=i]p harvest, r[=i]pan to reap. Cf. Reap.]1. Ready for reaping or gathering; having attained perfection; mature; -- said of fruits, seeds, etc.; as, ripe grain. So mayst thou live, till, like ripe fruit, thou drop Into thy mother's lap. --Milton. 2. Advanced to the state of fitness for use; mellow; as, ripe cheese; ripe wine. 3. Having attained its full development; mature; perfected; consummate. "Ripe courage." --Chaucer. He was a scholar, and a ripe and good one. --Shak. 4. Maturated or suppurated; ready to discharge; -- said of sores, tumors, etc. 5. Ready for action or effect; prepared. While things were just ripe for a war. --Addison. I am not ripe to pass sentence on the gravest public bodies. --Burke. 6. Like ripened fruit in ruddiness and plumpness. Those happy smilets, That played on her ripe lip. --Shak. 7. Intoxicated. [Obs.] "Reeling ripe." --Shak. Syn: Mature; complete; finished. See Mature.
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