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Recent Examples of precocial
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
Ducks are what scientists call precocial birds — capable of feeding, swimming and walking soon after hatching.
—New York Times, 22 June 2022
Godwits and most other ground nesters, on the other hand, are precocial birds.
—Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022
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
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
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
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Ducks are what scientists call precocial birds — capable of feeding, swimming and walking soon after hatching.
—New York Times, 22 June 2022
Godwits and most other ground nesters, on the other hand, are precocial birds.
—Jim Robbins, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2022
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
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
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
Adjective
-
Thrift stores typically stock what’s been donated locally, so the inventory is entirely dependent on what people happen to drop off.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Again, critics say the company’s decision to operate a service that is dependent on plastic bags and requires extensive transport undermines their environmental bona fides.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Over-the-counter ivermectin access A standalone bill that would have allowed over-the-counter access to the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin did not survive the funnel, but the idea remains alive in the governor’s sprawling health bill.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
20 Feb. 2026
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Cilantro flowers attract all kinds of beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps, lacewings, and ladybugs.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a symbiotic relationship between the two worlds of public relations and journalism.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
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Interestingly, one of Mather’s colleagues at URI, disease ecologist Janelle Couret, has looked at how Lyme bacteria may actually help ticks withstand the heat, a type of symbiotic relationship that she’s seen in insects.—
Alex Kuffner,
The Providence Journal,
12 Feb. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Precocial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precocial. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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