Definition of "ripeness" [ripe•ness]

• The characteristic of being ripe (noun)

Wiktionary.org : Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

• "I have never met with a man, either in England or America, who hath not confessed his opinion that a separation between the countries, would take place one time or other: And there is no instance, in which we have shewn less judgement, than in endeavouring to describe, what we call the ripeness or fitness of the Continent for independence."
• "I love fruit desserts; I opt for something fruited over something not almost any time … Understanding what to look for in ripeness or the names of fruit allows the reader to feel more comfortable in purchasing something they might not have in the past."
• "The best ones, almost without fail, tend to be made with fruit grown on Long Island, where achieving ripeness is less of a worry."