- Mature
- Mature Ma*ture", a. [Compar. {Maturer}; superl. {Maturest}.]
[L. maturus; prob. akin to E. matin.]
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
Now is love mature in ear. --Tennison. [1913 Webster]
How shall I meet, or how accost, the sage, Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age? --Pope. [1913 Webster]
2. Completely worked out; fully digested or prepared; ready for action; made ready for destined application or use; perfected; as, a mature plan. [1913 Webster]
This lies glowing, . . . and is almost mature for the violent breaking out. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
3. Of or pertaining to a condition of full development; as, a man of mature years. [1913 Webster]
4. Come to, or in a state of, completed suppuration. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.