pre·ma·ture/ˏprimə`tjr; ˈpremətʃə/ adj 1 happening too early or before the usual time 过早的,提早的: Smoking is one of the major causes of premature death. 吸烟是导致早逝的主要原因之一。 2 a premature baby is born too early and is small or weak 〔婴儿〕早产的: The baby was six weeks premature. 这婴孩早产了六周。