precocity
pre·co·cious (pr
-k
sh
s)
adj.
1. Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude.
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 Indo-European roots.]
pre·cocious·ly adv.
pre·cocity (-k
s-t
), pre·cocious·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
| Noun | 1. | precocity – intelligence achieved far ahead of normal developmental schedules
intelligence – the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
|