ripen
verbEtymology
From Middle English *ripenen, extended form of ripen, from Old English rīpian. In the modern form, equivalent to ripe + -en (inchoative and factitive suffix). As in several other verbs, the alteration seems to have occurred during the time when the infinitive and plural ending -en was in the process of being lost (and was thus open to reinterpretation). The earliest attestation is deverbal Middle English ripening (“causing ripeness, ripening”).
- derived from rīpian
Definitions
to grow ripe
to grow ripe; to become mature (said of grain, fruit, flowers etc.)
- Grapes ripen in the sun.
- […] the desert soil of the Great Basin is as rich in the elements that in rainy regions rise and ripen into food as that of any other State in the Union.
To approach or come to perfection.
- The acquaintance soon ripened into a warm attachment.
To cause (something) to mature
To cause (something) to mature; to make ripe
- The warm sun ripened the corn.
›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer
To mature
To mature; to fit or prepare; to bring to perfection
- ripen the judgment
- When Faith and Love which parted from thee never Had ripen'd thy just soul to dwell with God
The neighborhood
- neighborripeness
Derived
antiripening, enripen, overripen, postripening, ripener, ripening, ripeningly, ripen up, underripened, unripened, unripening
Vish — recursive loop
A definitional loop anchored at ripen. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.
A definitional loop anchored at ripen. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.
10 hops · closes at ripen
curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA