from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Mature \Ma*ture"\, a. [Compar. {Maturer}; superl. {Maturest}.]
[L. maturus; prob. akin to E. matin.]
[1913 Webster]
1. Brought by natural process to completeness of growth and
development; fitted by growth and development for any
function, action, or state, appropriate to its kind;
full-grown; ripe.
[1913 Webster]
Now is love mature in ear. --Tennison.
[1913 Webster]
How shall I meet, or how accost, the sage,
Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age? --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
2. Completely worked out; fully digested or prepared; ready
for action; made ready for destined application or use;
perfected; as, a mature plan.
[1913 Webster]
This lies glowing, . . . and is almost mature for
the violent breaking out. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. Of or pertaining to a condition of full development; as, a
man of mature years.
[1913 Webster]
4. Come to, or in a state of, completed suppuration.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Ripe; perfect; completed; prepared; digested; ready.
Usage: {Mature}, {Ripe}. Both words describe fullness of
growth. Mature brings to view the progressiveness of
the process; ripe indicates the result. We speak of a
thing as mature when thinking of the successive stayes
through which it has passed; as ripe, when our
attention is directed merely to its state. A mature
judgment; mature consideration; ripe fruit; a ripe
scholar.
[1913 Webster]