In an age where AI and Donald Trump have left many doubting the truth, US dictionary Merriam-Webster has revealed 2023’s most looked-up word. Photo: Pexels
Word of the day: Precocious
Expand your vocabulary with The South African’s word of the day. Each day The South African offers you an opportunity to learn new words.
In an age where AI and Donald Trump have left many doubting the truth, US dictionary Merriam-Webster has revealed 2023’s most looked-up word. Photo: Pexels
Learn some of the most interesting English words from The South African’s WORD OF THE DAY!
If you are a wordsmith or want to learn a new word to impress that special someone, this content is for you!
Today’s word of the day is:
Precocious
Precocious means “having or showing mature qualities at an unusually early age.” It can also mean “exceptionally early in development or occurrence.”
Pronunciation: [prih-KOH-shus]
Precocious got its start in Latin when the prefix prae-, meaning “ahead of,” was combined with the verb coquere, meaning “to cook” or “to ripen.” Together, they formed the adjective praecox, which meant “early ripening” or “premature.” By the mid-1600s, English speakers had turned praecox into precocious and were using it especially to describe plants that produced blossoms before their leaves came out. Within decades, precocious was also being used to describe humans who developed skills or talents sooner than others typically did.
Example: A precocious musician, he’s been performing concerts since the age of seven.
RECENT WORDS
SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE WORD:
Do you have a favourite WORD you would like to share with The South African?
If so, email info@thesouthafrican.com or WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 to get the WORD published.
You can also follow @TheSAnews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook to read the latest word of the day.
