▪ I. mature, a.
(məˈtjʊə(r))
[ad. L. mātūrus ripe, timely, early. Cf. mure.]
1. Complete in natural development or growth. a. Of fruits, etc.: Ripe. Obs. in lit. use.
| 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke 58/2 When as..the seede [of Fennell] is mature cut it there of. 1676 Worlidge Cider ii. §3. 14 Cider well made of Mature Fruits. 1791 Cowper Yardley Oak 33 Thou [the acorn] fell'st mature. |
| fig. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. lxxxi, There cannot come a mellower change, For now is love mature in ear. |
b. Of an embryo, fœtus, plant, etc.: Full grown.
| 1801 Med. Jrnl. V. 45 A living mature fœtus. 1845 Florist's Jrnl. 274 The proper season for repotting mature plants. 1882 Vines Sachs' Bot. 775 The green leaves do not grow after they are mature. |
† c. ‘Ripe’ or ready for. Obs.
| 1607 Shakes. Cor. iv. iii. 26 This [insurrection] lyes glowing..and is almost mature for the violent breaking out. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 537 Till like ripe Fruit thou drop..or be..Gatherd, not harshly pluckt, for death mature. |
d. Of a soil: having a fully developed profile. Of a soil profile or its parts: fully developed.
| 1926 C. F. Marbut in Tansley & Chipp Study of Vegetation vii. 131 Mature soils..owe their essential characters to the nature of the climate in which they are developed. 1927 [see immature a. 2 e]. 1954 W. D. Thornbury Princ. Geomorphol. iv. 76 A mature soil profile exhibits well-developed horizons. 1971 E. A. Fitzpatrick Pedology vii. 249/2 Marbut placed great emphasis on mature freely drained soils. |
2. a. Of a person: Having the powers of body and mind fully developed. Of personal qualities, etc.: Fully developed or ripened.
| 1600 J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa Ded. A 2 M. Richard Hakluyt: who out of his mature judgement in these studies,..was the onely man that mooved me to translate it. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. iv. v. 97 The yongest Sonne of Priam;..Not yet mature, yet matchlesse. 1667 Milton P.L. x. 882 To trust thee [Eve] from my side, imagin'd wise, Constant, mature. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 79 A Time will come, when my maturer Muse..a nobler Theme will chuse. 1718 Prior Solomon ii. 164 Mature the virgin was,..Grace shap'd her limbs, and beauty deck'd her face. 1726 Cavallier Mem. iv. 310 When they came to maturer Years. 1842 Combe Digestion 241 In mature and middle age..still greater caution..becomes requisite. 1870–74 J. Thomson City Dreadf. Nt. i. ix, Mature men chiefly, few in age or youth. |
b. const. in.
| 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. i. iv. 31 Boyes..mature in knowledge. 1682 Dryden Mac Fl. 16 Shadwell..Mature in dulness from his tender years. 1784 Cowper Task v. 296 When they are grown mature In wisdom. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 243 No animal at birth is mature or perfect in intelligence. |
c. Of or pertaining to maturity or manhood. rare.
| 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. i. i. 27 They were trayn'd together in their Child-hoods;..Since their more mature Dignities..made seperation of their Societie [etc.]. |
d. mature student: an adult who undertakes a course of study at a later age than normal.
| [1924 L. G. E. Jones Training of Teachers in Eng. & Wales xiv. 352 The sprinkling of more mature students is a great help.] 1953 C. A. Richardson et al. Educ. of Teachers in Eng., France & U.S.A. iii. 59 The mature student is one who..wishes to embark on a course of training as a teacher at an age considerably later than the normal age of entry to college. 1969 H. C. Dent Educ. Syst. Eng. & Wales (ed. 4) x. 205 From 1962–63 the Minister of Education ceased to give State scholarships (except to mature students). 1969 Guardian 16 Sept. 5/3 The formation of a new union for mature students has given fresh hope to people who are taking up teachers' training courses late in life. 1970 St. Hilda's College (Oxf.) Rep. 1968–69 21 One mature student was accepted to read for the B.A. in English. 1971 Mod. Law Rev. XXXIV. 652 A better solution to the problem of democratising recruitment would be to facilitate the attendance at law school of mature students. |
3. (The earliest use.) Of thought or deliberation: Duly prolonged and careful. Of plans, conclusions, etc.: Formed after adequate deliberation.
| 1454 Rolls of Parlt. V. 239/2 The Justicez, after sadde communication and mature deliberation hadde amonge theim, aunswered..that [etc.]. 1543 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxf. 170 After long and mature debating of the mattar. 1578 Reg. Privy Council Scot. III. 54 Eftir mature advise and deliberatioun. 1638 Junius Paint. Ancients A 3 Things..which..in the review and more mature cogitation I wished might be altered. 1726 Swift Gulliver ii. iii, Upon mature thoughts, I began to doubt whether I was injured or no. 1792 Burke Pres. St. Aff. Wks. 1842 I. 585 On a full and mature view and comparison of the historical matter. 1839 James Louis XIV, I. 389 Till his plans for revolt were mature. 1848 Lytton Harold viii. iv, The interval..allowed no time for mature and careful reflection. 1879 Farrar St. Paul xxxviii. (1883) 637 His ripest thoughts, and..the maturest statement of the Gospel which he preached. |
† 4. That takes place early; prompt. Obs.
| 1600 Fairfax Tasso xix. xcviii. 356 Hardly I scapt their hands by mature flight. 1672 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 407 Carrying things on with the maturest expedition. |
† 5. Of an event: Occurring when the fitting time has come. Of time: Due. (The opposite of ‘premature’.) Obs.
| 1605 Shakes. Lear iv. vi. 282 In the mature time, With this vngracious paper [Ile] strike the sight Of the death-practis'd Duke. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 862 The birth mature Of this our native Heav'n. |
6. Med. a. In a state of suppuration; ripe.
| 1828 in Webster; and in later Dicts. |
b. Of a progressive cataract: characterized by complete opacity.
| 1850 [see immature a. 2 d]. 1904 L. W. Fox Dis. Eye xii. 310 Operations should not be performed on both eyes at the same time, even though both cataracts are mature. 1970 A. H. Keeney Ocular Exam. ix. 143/1 A mature cataract is one that has developed complete opacification throughout. |
7. Comm. Of a bill, etc.: That has reached the time for payment; due.
| 1882 in Ogilvie. |
Add: [A.] [1.] e. Of cheese: that has attained a full flavour.
| 1935 O. Burdett Little Bk. Cheese ii. 21 In spite of the grocer's assurance that the Stilton was perfectly mature, we waited a month. 1970 Simon & Howe Dict. Gastron. 119/2 When it [sc. Canadian Cheddar] is mature it is very good and some say it equals English farmhouse Cheddar. 1984 Washington Post 12 Dec. e16/3 Specialty shops..prefer mature cheeses. 1990 Country Homes June 132/2 At the local hostelry..we drank white wine with hobelkase, a strong cheese like a cross between a mature Cheddar and Parmesan. |
f. Econ. and Comm. Pertaining to or designating an economy, industry, or company which has developed to the point where business investment and the application of technology no longer account for a large proportion of its income. Of a product: no longer subject to substantial development or investment.
Some economic theorists have associated the mature stage of a national economy with increasing unemployment, or with increasing expenditure on consumer goods.
| 1939 Economist 3 June 545/1 The final and most elaborate and abstruse argument for fresh public spending is based on what is called the ‘mature economy’ theory... The theory is a variant of the oversavings theory: according to it, maturity in the economy means a lack of investment opportunities adequate to absorb savings; savings accumulate and economic stagnation results. 1939 A. H. Hansen in Hearings Temp. Nat. Econ. Comm. U.S. Congress (1940) ix. 3513 When a revolutionary new industry.., after having initiated in its youth a powerful upward surge of plant expansion in all the basic industries which serve its needs, after such an industry reaches maturity and ceases to grow..the whole economy must experience a stagnation, unless indeed new developments equally far-reaching take its place... It is not enough that a mature industry continues its activity at a high level on a horizontal plane. 1960 W. W. Rostow Stages Econ. Growth ii. 10 As societies achieved maturity in the twentieth century..the structure of the working force changed in ways which increased..the proportion of the population..aware of and anxious to acquire the consumption fruits of a mature economy. 1970 Sci. Amer. Mar. 35/2 The debt capacity of safe, mature businesses. 1975 Dun's Rev. Apr. 77/3 Because of our youth, it will take a little longer than in the mature industries for the personnel man to reach the top. 1975 Aviation Week & Space Technol. 10 Nov. 92/3 $80,000 may be..the figure for this relatively mature product [sc. the Boeing Arinc 561]. 1982 Amer. Banker 15 Nov. 21/4 In a mature economy like that of the U.S., profit margins tend to be thin. 1991 MBI Feb. 59/1 Observers warn that the rate of growth is likely to slow down in relatively ‘mature’ CD markets such as Germany and Holland. 1992 Pixel Mar.–Apr. 33/1 While Khoros is reasonably mature, there are small bugs and design flaws scattered throughout the package. |
[2.] [a.] Also used euphemistically for ‘middle-aged’ or ‘old’. (Further examples.)
| 1867 W. D. Howells Ital. Journeys 120 A matron of mature years. 1907 Conrad Secret Agent vi. 153 Two mature women with a matronly air of gracious resolution. 1911 G. B. Shaw Getting Married Pref. 150 Use your own mature charms to attract men to the house. 1922 Joyce Ulysses 398 The lover in the heyday of reckless passion and the husband of maturer years. 1963 Guardian 12 July 9/6 Mature matrons..now..wear kiss-me-quick hats. 1992 En Route (Toronto) July 9/1 Today many Canadians 60 years of age and over are healthy, adventurous and in pursuit of new ways to enjoy their leisure time... In focus groups we conducted this year, mature Canadians gave their travel priorities: value for money, security and safety. |
e. Estate agents' jargon. Of a property: old, but not so old as to be of special interest.
| 1975 Irish Times 9 May 21/7 (Advt.), Mature 3 bedroom semi-detached house. 1976 Milton Keynes Express 28 May 39 (Advt.), A beautifully maintained mature semi detached house. 1990 Harrogate Advertiser 6 Apr. (Classified Supermart section) 6/1 (Advt.), A most impressive mature detached residence occupying delightful corner site..in this favoured residential location. |
B. n. A mature student.
| 1973 Times 4 July 12/2 Matures are..more highly motivated than younger students. |
▪ II. mature, v.
(məˈtjʊə(r))
Also 6 madure.
[Partly ad. obs. F. maturer, also madurer, ad. L. mātūrāre, f. mātūrus mature; partly f. mature a.]
1. trans. (Med.) = maturate v. 1.
| 1541 Copland tr. Guydon's Form. S iij b, In mundyfyenge it madureth, and suffreth nat to fystule. 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physic 95/1 A potione to mature, or ripen, an Apostematione. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 39 To mature, that is to loosen the [bronchial] catarrh. |
2. To bring to maturity or perfect development; to ripen (fruits, wine, etc.); to bring (a plant or crop) to full growth. Also pass. = 6.
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §314 Creame is Matured..by Putting in Cold Water. Ibid. §326 To see if the Virtuall Heat of the Wine..will not Mature it [an apple]. 1701 J. Philips Splendid Shilling 117 Nor taste the Fruits that the Sun's genial Rays Mature. 1781 Cowper Charity 442 A ship, well freighted with the stores The sun matures on India's spicy shores. 1853 Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. viii. (1857) 114 Warmth..expands the leaf, matures the fruit [etc.]. |
| fig. 1821 Shelley Hellas 575 The Greek has reaped The costly harvest his own blood matured. |
| absol. 1626 Bacon Sylva §326 They are euer Temperate Heats that Digest, and Mature. |
3. transf. To cause to develop fully (the mind, judgement, etc.); to perfect the development of (a person) mentally and physically.
| 1660 R. Coke Power & Subj. 75 Whenas judgment is matured by age. 1671 Milton P.R. iv. 281 Till time mature thee to a Kingdom's waight. 1742 Young N. Th. v. 772 Virtue, not rolling suns, the mind matures. 1766–88 Gibbon Decl. & F. II. xliii. 597 His prudence was matured by experience. 1842 Tennyson ‘Love thou thy land’ x, Nature..Thro' many agents making strong, Matures the individual form. 1851 Macaulay Ess., Fredk. Gt. (1877) 661 Suffering had matured his understanding. |
| absol. a 1861 Mrs. Browning Little Mattie ii. Poems (1862) 2 Just so young but yesternight, Now she is as old as death... An hour matures. |
4. fig. To make ripe or ready; to perfect (a plan, work, etc.); to bring to a head.
| 1667 Milton P.L. i. 660 But these thoughts Full Counsel must mature. 1769 Robertson Chas. V, III. x. 222 He had leisure to mature his schemes. 1784 Cowper Task iii. 450 An art That toiling ages have but just matured. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India I. iii. ii. 500 His vizir..matured the dissatisfaction of the Omrahs, and..dethroned..him. 1851 Gallenga Italy 195 The great events that were maturing the destinies of the common country in Northern Italy. 1865 H. Phillips Amer. Paper Curr. II. 23 The plans..were evidently not yet matured. |
b. Const. into.
| 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xii. III. 210 The passions..would be at once matured into fearful vigour. 1857 Buckle Civilisation I. ix. 585 Their habits of self-reliance, enabled them to mature into a system..the right of private judgment. 1861 T. Wright Ess. Archæol. II. xxii. 197 This taste for gallantry was matured into a system. |
† 5. To forward or hasten duly. Obs. rare.
| 1660 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 24 The House hath been..busied in..maturing those bills. 1661–2 Ibid. 77 Be maturing your own businesse hither as fast as may be. |
6. intr. To come to maturity or perfect development; to grow ripe: a. of fruits, seeds, wine, etc.
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §324 It is like they [sc. fruit] would mature more finely. 1795 Napleton Adv. to Student v. 55 It [the seed] may..grow and mature where you see it not. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVII. 463/2 The wine is left in the cask..to mature. 1879 Lubbock Sci. Lect. i. 8 In some cases the stigma has matured before the anthers are ripe. |
b. of animals.
| 1887 F. Francis Jun. Saddle & Mocassin 163 You want the cattle that's easiest handled, and easiest sold, and that matures quickest and keeps in best condition. |
c. transf. of persons.
| 1844 Browning Boy & Angel 33 The man matured and fell away Into the season of decay. 1870 Disraeli Lothair xl, But what pleases me most are his manners... I never knew any one who had so matured. |
d. fig. To ‘ripen’ or develop into or to.
| 1805 Southey Madoc i. xvii, Such thoughts, As might..have matured To penitence and peace. 1875 Poste Gaius i. (ed. 2) 78 Possession could not mature by usucapion into ownership. |
7. Comm. Of a bill, sum of money, etc.: To reach the time fixed for payment; to become due.
| 1861 Goschen For. Exch. 10 Those bills being all forced upon the money-market for discount at once, instead of being gradually encashed as they mature. 1892 Daily News 20 Feb. 2/4 In March as much as 980,000l. will mature. 1896 Law Times C. 436/2 Debentures which had matured for payment. |
Hence maˈturer rare, one who matures.
| 1863 W. Hanna Our Lord's Resurr. 18 The nourisher, the maturer of that eternal life which is for our souls in him. |