pre·ma·ture  (pr ē′m ə-ty r , -t r , -ch r )
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adj.1. Occurring, growing, or existing before the customary, correct, or assigned time; uncommonly or unexpectedly early: a premature end. 2. Born after a gestation period of less than the normal time: a premature infant.
pre′ma·turely adv. pre′ma·tureness, pre′ma·turi·ty n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
Semitic Roots
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
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