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| pre·cip·i·tate [ prə síppi tàyt ] |
verb (past and past participle pre·cip·i·tat·ed, present participle pre·cip·i·tat·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·cip·i·tates) |
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1. transitive verb make something happen quickly: to make something happen suddenly and quickly
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2. transitive verb send somebody or something rapidly: to send somebody or something suddenly and rapidly into a particular state or condition
  A minor border skirmish precipitated the two countries into war.
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3. transitive and intransitive verb meteorology make rain or snow fall: to cause liquid or solid forms of water, condensed in the atmosphere, to fall to the ground as rain, snow, or hail, or fall in such a form
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4. transitive and intransitive verb chemistry separate solid out of solution: to cause a solid to separate out from a solution as a result of a chemical reaction, or separate out in this way
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5. transitive and intransitive verb throw or fall from above: to throw somebody or something from a great height, or fall from a great height
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formal
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adjective |
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1. done or acting rashly: done or acting too quickly and without enough thought
I may have been precipitate in accepting their offer.
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2. hurried: very hurried
made a precipitate departure
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3. sudden: sudden and unexpected
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noun (plural pre·cip·i·tates) |
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chemistry suspension of small particles: a suspension of small solid particles that are formed in a solution as a result of a chemical reaction and usually settle out of the solution
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| [Early 16th century. < Latin praecipitat-, past participle of praecipitare "throw down" < praeceps "headlong" < caput "head"] |
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