| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| mature (adj., v.), maturity (n.) |
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| These mean “adult” (The immature robin’s breast is spotted; the mature bird’s is solid orange), but they can also be euphemisms for “getting on in years,” as in He has a mature build, complete with potbelly, and in the name of the journal of the American Association of Retired Persons, Modern Maturity. The verb means “to reach adulthood, to ripen,” and (of bonds and notes) “to fall due.” See SENIOR CITIZEN. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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