precocial

P3R1E1C3O1C3I1A1L1
UK/pɹɪˈkəʊ.ʃəl/Canada, US/pɹɪˈkoʊ.ʃəl/Australia/pɹɪˈkəʉ.ʃəl/New Zealand/pɹəˈkɐʉ.ʃəl/

adjective

Hatched from the egg already covered in down and with eyes open; capable of leaving the nest within a few days.

Opposite
altricial
OriginLatin praecŏcĭa →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

adjectiveprecocial (not comparable)
  1. not comparablebiologyHatched from the egg already covered in down and with eyes open; capable of leaving the nest within a few days.

    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.

    2012, Karen L Krijgsveld, Behavioural and physiological adaptations of precocial chicks to arctic environments

Synonyms & antonyms

adjective(of hatchlings) covered with down and having eyes open; capable of leaving the nest within a few days

Opposite
altricial

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinpraecŏcĭa“places where fruits ripen early”
  2. Englishprecocial

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

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

precocial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precocial

MLA

“precocial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precocial. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “precocial,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precocial.

Source: precocial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.