premature

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prema|ture /pr'emətʃ'ʊər, AM pr'iː-/
1 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Something that is premature happens earlier than usual or earlier than people expect.
Accidents are still the number one cause of premature death for Americans...
...a twenty-four-year-old man who suffered from premature baldness.
● prematurely [ADV] ADV with v, ADV adj
The war and the years in the harsh mountains had prematurely aged him...
2 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ, oft it v-link ADJ to-inf
You can say that something is premature when it happens too early and is therefore inappropriate.
It now seems their optimism was premature...
● prematurely [ADV] usu ADV with v, also ADV adj
Holmgren is careful not to celebrate prematurely.
3 [ADJ]
A premature baby is one that was born before the date when it was expected to be born.
When my daughter Emma was born she was two and a half months premature.
● prematurely [ADV] ADV after v
Danny was born prematurely, weighing only 3lb 3oz.

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