at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time | (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth |
of an early stage in the development of a language or literature | (of crops) harvested at an early stage of development; before complete maturity |
being or occurring at an early stage of development | not tried or tested by experience |
belonging to the distant past | being in its early stage |
very young | suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh |
expected in the near future | |