4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mature  \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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mature  \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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Mature  \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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  mature 
  adj  1:  characteristic  of  maturity;  "mature  for  her  age"  [ant:  {immature}] 
  2:  fully  considered  and  perfected;  "mature  plans"  [syn:  {matured}] 
  3:  having  reached  full  natural  growth  or  development;  "a  mature 
  cell"  [ant:  {immature}] 
  4:  fully  developed  or  matured  and  ready  to  be  eaten  or  used 
  "ripe  peaches";  "full-bodies  mature  wines"  [syn:  {ripe}] 
  [ant:  {green}] 
  5:  (of  birds)  having  developed  feathers  or  plumage;  often  used 
  in  combination  [syn:  {fledged}]  [ant:  {unfledged}] 
  v  1:  develop  and  reach  maturity;  undergo  maturation;  "He  matured 
  fast";  "The  child  grew  fast"  [syn:  {maturate},  {grow}] 
  2:  grow  old  or  older;  "She  aged  gracefully"  [syn:  {age},  {maturate}] 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words