adj. 1. Manifesting or characterized by development, aptitude, or interests considered advanced for a given age: a mathematically precocious child; a child with a precocious wit. 2. Botany Blossoming before the appearance of leaves. [From Latin praecox, praecoc-, premature, from praecoquere, to boil before, ripen early : prae-, pre- + coquere, to cook, ripen; see pekw- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] pre·cocious·ly adv. pre·cocity (-kŏsĭ-tē), pre·cocious·ness n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.