mature

ma|ture1 [ mə`tʃur ] adjective **

1. ) behaving in the sensible way that you would expect an adult to behave. This is usually used about children and young people:

He's more mature than the other boys in his class.

That wasn't a very mature thing to do.

─ opposite IMMATURE

a ) a mature adult is no longer young, and is considered to have the good qualities of an older person, for example the knowledge and experience of how to deal with particular situations:

This position would suit a mature P.A. with computer skills.

b ) the mature work of an artist, writer, etc. is produced when they are no longer young and have developed their skill to a high level

2. ) a mature animal is one that has grown to its full size:

The mature bull weighs about two thousand pounds.

3. ) mature cheese, wine, etc. has been left to develop so that its flavor improves

a ) a mature garden has been developed and looked after for a long time

mature

ma|ture 2 [ mə`tʃur ] verb intransitive *

1. ) to start behaving like an adult and become more sensible as you get older:

She's really matured in the last couple of years.

a ) to grow to full adult size:

The gray feathers become whiter as the bird matures.

2. ) if cheese, wine etc. matures, it is left to develop a pleasant strong flavor

3. ) BUSINESS if an INVESTMENT matures, the person who owns it receives back the money they invested and the interest it has earned after a fixed period of time