a. [ad. L. adult-us pa. pple. of adolesc-ĕre to grow up; but perh. as first used a direct adoption of the Fr. adulte, a 16th-c. adaptation of the L. Though once used by Elyot, not really naturalized till the middle of the 17th c., being unknown to Cotgrave, Florio and Minsheu, in translating Fr. adulte, It. and Sp. adulto.]
A. adj.
1. Grown up, having reached the age of maturity. (Of men, and, in mod. use, of animals.)
1531. Elyot, Governour, II. i. (R.). Soche persons being now adulte, that is to sei passed their childehode.
[1611. Cotgr., Hors de paye (Fr.), Adultus, past breeching … growne a tall man, or, a full-growne man.]
1653. Baxter, Chr. Conc., 10. I intend to have the Names of all the Members in a Church-Book (the Adult in one Colume and the Infants in another).
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 360. An adult Age is above the age of Puberty, and under that of twenty-five years.
1836. Thirlwall, Greece, III. xxiv. 360. They put to death all the adult citizens, and enslaved the women and children.
1871. Darwin, Desc. Man, I. i. 13. The orang is believed not to be adult till the age of from ten to fifteen years.
2. fig. Of anything growing, as a plant, a language: Matured, full-grown.
1670. G. H., trans. Hist. Cardinals, I. II. 55. Heresie (that is but Schism adult).
1752. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Adult plants … differ from immature ones in that they contain more oil, and less salt.
1838. Sir Jas. Macintosh, in Encycl. Brit. (ed. 7), 294. He can as rarely hazard glaring innovations in diction, at least in an adult and mature language like ours.
B. sb.
1. A person adult; one who has reached maturity.
Adult Baptism: the baptism of those only who are ecclesiastically adults, or of the years of discretion; opposed to Infant Baptism.
1658. Baxter, Saving Grace, § 4. 26. Neither common nor proper Grace is ordinarily infused (at least into the Adult).
1686. Bp. Compton, Episc. Lett., 34 (T.). The Jews, when they admitted adults into their synagogues.
1752. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Several conditions and preparations were required at the baptism of adults.
1797. Godwin, Enquirer, I. x. 90. Treat the child … as he would an adult.
1851. H. Spencer, Soc. Stat., xvii. § 1. They must say what rights are common to children and adults, and why.
