I.ripe before its time, early ripe, rareripe, premature, precocious (syn. praematurus).
I. Lit.: “allium praecox,” Plin. 19, 6, 34, § 112: “rosa,” id. 21, 4, 10, § 19: “germinationes,” id. 17, 2, 2, § 16: “pira,” Col. 5, 10: “vites praecoquis fructus,” id. 3, 2: “ex unā praecoque vite,” id. 3, 9: “uvas praecoquas legere,” id. 12, 37: “arbores,” bearing fruit before their time, Plin. 16, 27, 50, § 114: quando jam praecoquae uvae vesci possunt, when the earliest grapes are ripe, Vulg. Num. 13, 21. —
B. Transf.: loca, and subst.: prae-cŏcĭa , ĭum, n., places where fruits ripen early, Plin. 17, 11, 16, § 79; 18, 24, 54, § 197. —
II. Trop., over-hasty, premature, precocious, untimely (poet. and in post - Aug. prose; not in Cic.): pugna, Enn. ap. Non. 150, 16 (Ann. v. 282): “ingeniorum velut praecox genus,” Quint. 1, 3, 3: “risus praecox,” Plin. 7 prooem. 1, § “2: audacia,” i. e. of a boy, Sen. Brev. Vit. 6: fuga, Lucil. ap. Non. 150, 17; Varr. ap. ib. 157, 3: praecoquis libido, Nov. ap. ib. 150, 18; Afran. ap. Gell. 10, 11, 9.—* Adv.: praecŏquē , prematurely, etc.: properans, Auct. Itin. Alex. 38 Mai.
