Added 8 October 2026
precocious
/pɹəˈkəʊʃəs/ adjective
In Latin: praecox Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about precocious at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude).
a precocious child
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Appearing or developing early.
precocious flowers appear before the leaves as in some species of magnolias
Origin
From Latin praecox (“premature, precocious, ripe before time, early ripe”), from praecoquō (“to ripen beforehand, ripen fully, also boil beforehand”), from prae (“before”) + coquō (“to cook, boil, ripen”). Doublet of apricot.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)