17 July 2014

precocious

[pri-koh-shuhs]

adjective

1. unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development: a precocious child.
2. prematurely developed, as the mind, faculties, etc.
3. of or pertaining to premature development.
4. Botany .
a. flowering, fruiting, or ripening early, as plants or fruit.
b. bearing blossoms before leaves, as plants.
c. appearing before leaves, as flowers.

Origin:
1640–50; Latin praecoci-, stem of praecox (see precocity) + -ous

Related forms
pre·co·cious·ly, adverb
pre·co·cious·ness, noun
un·pre·co·cious, adjective
un·pre·co·cious·ly, adverb
un·pre·co·cious·ness, noun

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Today’s aphorism

I’m sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody.

– J. D. Salinger

On this day

17 July 1774 – Captain James Cook arrives in New Hebrides (now Vanuatu).

17 July 1976 – 25 African countries boycott the opening ceremony of the Montreal Olympics in protest against New Zealand’s sporting links with South Africa.

17 July 1979 – In Nicaragua, Marxist Sandinista rebels overthrow the U.S. sponsored government of President Samoza, who flees to the United States.

17 July 2013 – The Queensland Maroons rugby league team win a record 8 consecutive State of Origin series against the New South Wales Blues.