praecox, cŏcis, also praecŏquis, e, and praecŏquus, a, um, adj. [praecoquo], 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.