precipitate

pre·cip·i·tate

Use precipitate in a sentence

adjective

The definition of precipitate is something that happens suddenly, falls steeply or acts quickly.
An example of precipitate is jumping from a sinking ship without a life vest.

verb

Precipitate is defined as to throw something downward or cause something to happen before expected.
An example of precipitate is a car driving off a cliff.

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MLA Style

"precipitate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitate>.

APA Style

precipitate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitate

precipitate

transitive verb

-·tat·ed, -·tat·ing

to throw headlong; hurl downward
to cause to happen before expected, warranted, needed, or desired; bring on; hasten: to precipitate a crisis
Chem.
1. to cause (a slightly soluble substance) to become insoluble, as by heat or by a chemical reagent, and separate out from a solution
2. to cause the separation of a suspended liquid or solid from a gas
Meteorol. to condense (water vapor) and cause to fall to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, etc.

Origin of precipitate

from Classical Latin praecipitatus, past participle of praecipitare from praeceps: see precipice

Chem. to be precipitated
Meteorol. to condense and fall to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, etc.

falling steeply, rushing headlong, flowing swiftly, etc.
acting, happening, or done very hastily or rashly; impetuous; headstrong
very sudden, unexpected, or abrupt

Origin of precipitate

L praecipitatus: see precipitatethe transitive verb

a substance that is precipitated out from a solution or gas

Origin of precipitate

ModL praecipitatum

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MLA Style

"precipitate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitate>.

APA Style

precipitate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitate

precipitate

verb

pre·cip·i·tat·ed, pre·cip·i·tat·ing, pre·cip·i·tates

verb

transitive

To cause to happen, especially suddenly or prematurely: an announcement that precipitated a political crisis.
To cause to fall down from a height; hurl downward: “The finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below” ( Thornton Wilder )
To put suddenly into a certain state or condition: “He was like a man who had never known liberty and was all at once precipitated into it” ( Taylor Caldwell )
Meteorology To cause (a form of water, as rain or snow) to fall from the air.
Chemistry To cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution.

verb

intransitive

Meteorology To fall from the air as a form of water, such as rain or snow.
Chemistry To be separated from a solution as a solid.

adjective

Moving rapidly and heedlessly; speeding headlong.
Acting with or marked by excessive haste and lack of due deliberation. See Synonyms at impetuous.
Occurring suddenly or unexpectedly.

noun

Chemistry A solid or solid phase separated from a solution.
A product resulting from a process, event, or course of action.

Origin of precipitate

Latin praecipitāre praecipitāt- to throw headlong from praeceps praecipit- headlong prae- pre- caput capit- head ; see kaput- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

pre·cip′i·tate·ly
adverb

pre·cip′i·tate·ness
noun

pre·cip′i·ta′tive
adjective

pre·cip′i·ta′tor
noun

Usage Note: The adjective precipitate and the adverb precipitately were once applied to physical steepness but are now used primarily of rash, headlong actions: Their precipitate entry into the foreign markets led to disaster. He withdrew precipitately from the race. Precipitous currently means “steep” in both literal and figurative senses: the precipitous rapids of the upper river; a precipitous drop in commodity prices. But precipitous and precipitously are also frequently used to mean “abrupt, hasty,” which takes them into territory that would ordinarily belong to precipitate and precipitately: their precipitous decision to leave. Many people object to this usage out of a desire to keep precipitate and precipitous distinct, but the extension of meaning from “steep” to “abrupt” is perfectly natural. After all a precipitous increase in reports of measles is also an abrupt or sudden event. In fact, a majority of the Usage Panel now accepts this usage. In our 2004 survey, 65 percent accepted the sentence Pressure to marry may cause precipitous decision-making that is not grounded in the reality of who you are and what you want from life.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"precipitate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitate>.

APA Style

precipitate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitate

Verb

(prĭ-sĭpˌ◌ĭ-tātˌ◌)
To fall from the atmosphere as rain, snow, or another form of precipitation.
To separate as a solid from a solution in chemical precipitation.

Noun

(prĭ-sĭpˌ◌ĭ-tātˌ◌, -tĭt)
A solid material precipitated from a solution.

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MLA Style

"precipitate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitate>.

APA Style

precipitate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/precipitate

Verb

(third-person singular simple present precipitates, present participle precipitating, simple past and past participle precipitated)

To make something happen suddenly and quickly; hasten.
to precipitate a journey, or a conflict
To throw an object or person from a great height.
To send violently into a certain state or condition.
(intransitive, chemistry) To come out of a liquid solution into solid form.
Adding the acid will cause the salt to precipitate.
(chemistry) To separate a substance out of a liquid solution into solid form.
(intransitive, meteorology) To have water in the air fall to the ground, for example as rain, snow, sleet, or hail; be deposited as condensed droplets.
It will precipitate tomorrow, but we don't know whether as rain or snow.
To cause (water in the air) to condense or fall to the ground.

Related terms

Origin

From Latin praecipitÅ (“throw down, hurl down"), from praeceps (“head foremost, headlong"), from prae (“before") + caput (“head").

Noun

(plural precipitates)

A product resulting from a process, event, or course of action.
(chemistry) A solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution.

Origin

From Latin praecipitatum

Adjective

(comparative more precipitate, superlative most precipitate)

headlong; falling steeply or vertically.
Very steep; precipitous.
With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong.
Moving with excessive speed or haste.
The king was too precipitate in declaring war.
a precipitate case of disease
Performed very rapidly or abruptly.