Page 4 - Land Patent Document

“Precocious”

How to pronounce it: pri – koh – shuh s

What it means:

(Adjective)

1. developed before the usual time
2. unusually advanced or mature in development or
occurrence
3. of or relating to premature development; prematurely
developed, especially mental development, faculties, etc.
4. Botany.
a. flowering, fruiting, or ripening early, as plants or fruit.
b. bearing blossoms before leaves, as plants.
c. appearing before leaves, as flowers.
Origin:

Ø 1640s-1650s
Ø From the Latin praecoci-
· From prae (meaning “before”) + coquere (meaning “to ripen” or “to cook”)
· stem of praecox meaning “ripening early, ripening before its time”
Ø The Latin word was first used to describe certain plants and fruits. In time, it has more
recently came to be used to describe a child who is unusually mature at an early age.

How to use it:

Ø “Michael had a precocious talent for computing as a child.”
Ø “She published her first novel at the precocious age of eleven.”
Ø “It is wise to prune precocious plants in the summer to prepare for cold winter climates.”

Synonyms:

ü Progressive ü Early ü Unconventional
ü Advanced ü Bold ü Presumptuous