zralost

Zralost is a term used in Czech and Slovak to denote the state of being ripe or mature. In general, zralost refers to a stage of development at which a fruit, seed, organ, or organism has reached functional readiness, or when a person has developed to a typical adult level. The word is derived from the adjective zralý ("ripe" or "mature"); the corresponding noun in Slovak is zrelosť.

In botany and agriculture, zralost describes fruit maturity, signaling whether harvest is appropriate. Indicators may include color change, texture, aroma, sugar content, acidity, and seed hardness. In zoology and fisheries, zralost (often phrased as sexual maturity) describes whether an animal or fish has reached reproductive capability. In medicine and psychology, zralost can refer to maturity in a developmental sense, such as bone maturity or emotional development.

Translations into English usually render zralost as "ripeness" or "maturity," depending on context; the term is primarily used within Czech and Slovak texts and is rarely treated as a direct loanword in English. The concept is parallel to related terms in other Slavic languages, like Slovak zrelosť and Polish dojrzałość.