See Also: ripen(medicine)
ripen(dictionary)
ripen(dictionary)

oom (iou) and ripen (iou)


oom (iou)



oom noun. S. Afr. E19.
[Afrikaans from Dutch oom: see EME noun1.]
Uncle. Freq. used by children or young people as a respectful form of address to any older or elderly man.

ripen (iou)



ripen verb. LME.
[from RIPE adjective + -EN5.]
verb trans. Make ripe; bring to the full point of natural growth or development; bring to maturity. Earliest as ripening ppl adjective. LME.
J. Trapp Age clarifies Wine and ripens it. Pope The blooming boy is ripen'd into man.
b. Cause (a boil etc.) to come to a head or maturate. L16.
verb intrans. Grow ripe; reach the full point of natural growth or development; come to maturity; fig. develop into. M16.
H. Martineau The acquaintance had ripened into friendship. S. Trott I doubted that the last tomatoes were going to ripen. M. Keane The stones..seemed to ripen in the hot sunshine.
b. Of a boil etc.: come to a head, maturate. E18.
c. Bring (a material, esp. rayon) to a required state by any of various usu. gradual industrial processes. Chiefly as ripening verbal noun. E20.
ripener noun (a) a person who or thing which ripens; (b) spec. a device in which honey is allowed to stand until it is ready to be put in jars: M16.