Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Mature"
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) 1.7 (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"; "we age every
day--what a depressing thought!" [syn: {age}, {get on}, {maturate}]
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