Letter P

Precocious

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Unusually early development, whether it be of intellectual powers, speech, physical traits, etc.

Precocious puberty is the unusually early development of secondary sexual features.

The onset of sexual maturation in a girl before age 8 or a boy before age 9 is usually considered to be precocious puberty.

'Precocious' is to be distinguished from 'precocial' which means 'capable of a high degree of independent activity from birth' and is usually applied to the young of other species such as certain birds such as ducks.

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