precocial

adjective

Definition of precocialnext
as in dependent

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of precocial Godwits and most other ground nesters, on the other hand, are precocial birds. — Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022 The opposite are precocial birds, birds that hatch with feathers and are mobile and ready to go shortly after emerging from the egg. — Anna Thomas Bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 June 2017 Game birds, precocial, have larger clutches because the young, feathered and out of the nest upon hatching, are more subject to predation. — Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021 Ducks are what scientists call precocial birds — capable of feeding, swimming and walking soon after hatching. — New York Times, 22 June 2022 Hares are also born fully furred and with their eyes open, a trait called precocial, whereas rabbits are born hairless, blind, and vulnerable, needing more parental care in the early stages of life. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025 The embryos could develop into precocial hatchlings — young that were born at an advanced stage and capable of independent survival without parental milk or feeding. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026 Comparison with avian brain evolution suggests that placental brain size should be constrained due to placentals’ relative precociality, as has been hypothesized for precocial bird hatchlings. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 Sep. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precocial
  1. dependent
  2. parasitic
  3. symbiotic
  4. associational
Adjective
  • Some states have started to broaden these rules to allow candidates to use campaign funds for other dependent care, too, like elder care.
    — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Car companies and their supply chains are particularly dependent on the movement of goods through USMCA and have been in the crosshairs of the administration's tariff policy.
    — Emily Chang, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of dependent
Adjective
  • This mosquito-borne parasitic disease causes recurrent fever and chills.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic infection that causes unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms often associated with food poisoning, such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of parasitic
Adjective
  • In India, the country is obsessed with cricket and Bollywood movies, which share a symbiotic relationship that has proven to be a major obstacle in attempts to build soccer’s popularity.
    — Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Kombucha Kombucha is made by combining tea with sugar, which serves as food for the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY) during fermentation.
    — Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 26 June 2026
Definition of symbiotic
Adjective
  • Defendants contest only that CASA has not satisfied the first requirement for such associational standing.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Definition of associational

Browse Nearby Words

precluding
precocial
precocious
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Cite this Entry

“Precocial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precocial. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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