Wordnet 3.0
ADJECTIVE (2)
1.
characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude);
- Example: "a precocious child"- Example: "a precocious achievement"2.
appearing or developing early;
- Example: "precocious flowers appear before the leaves as in some species of magnolias"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Precocious \Pre*co"cious\, a. [L. praecox, -ocis, and
praecoquus, fr. praecoquere to cook or ripen beforehand; prae
before + coquere to cook. See 3d Cook, and cf. Apricot.]
1. Ripe or mature before the proper or natural time; early or
prematurely ripe or developed; as, precocious trees. [R.]
--Sir T. Browne.
[1913 Webster]
2. Developed more than is natural or usual at a given age;
exceeding what is to be expected of one's years; too
forward; -- used especially of mental forwardness; as, a
precocious child; precocious talents.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
precocious
adj 1: characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early
development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude);
"a precocious child"; "a precocious achievement" [ant:
retarded]
2: appearing or developing early; "precocious flowers appear
before the leaves as in some species of magnolias"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
36 Moby Thesaurus words for "precocious":
a bit previous, advanced, ahead, bright, developed, early,
far ahead, forward, gifted, half-baked, half-cocked, hasty,
ill-considered, impulsive, intelligent, mature, not firm,
overhasty, oversoon, precipitate, premature, previous, quick,
rushed, smart, soon, too early, too soon, uncrystallized, unjelled,
unmatured, unmeditated, unpremeditated, unprepared, unripe,
untimely