precocial

English

Etymology

From Latin praecŏcĭa (“places where fruits ripen early”).

Adjective

precocial (not comparable)

1. (zoology, of birds) Hatched from the egg already covered in down and with eyes open; capable of leaving the nest within a few days.
   • 2012, Karen L Krijgsveld, Behavioural and physiological adaptations of precocial chicks to arctic environments:

     Being precocial, shorebird chicks leave the nest soon after hatching to forage by themselves, but, as they are not yet homeothermic, they lose body heat while foraging and must be rewarmed by their parents at regular intervals.

Related terms

• precocious
• precociality

See also

• altricial

Anagrams

• police car