adj.1 (of grain, fruit, cheese, etc.) ready to be reaped or picked or eaten.
2 mature; fully developed (ripe in judgement; a ripe beauty).
3 (of a person's age) advanced.
4 (often foll. by for) fit or ready (when the time is ripe; land ripe for development).
5 (of the complexion etc.) red and full like ripe fruit.
Derivatives:
ripely adv. ripeness n.
Etymology: OE ripe f. WG