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. -- 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.

 

© Webster 1913.


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.

 

© Webster 1913.


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.

 

© Webster 1913.

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