precipice

preci·pice
P3R1E1C3I1P3I1C3E1
/ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs//ˈpɹɛs.ə.pɪs/

noun

A very steep cliff.

“to stand on a precipice”

Similar
cliffcliffdrop
OriginMiddle French precipice ← Latin praecipitium ← Proto-Indo-European *kap- →
UncommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounprecipice (plural precipices)

plural precipices · alternative præcipice

  1. A very steep cliff.

    I resolved to remove my tent from the place where it stood, which was just under the hanging precipice of the hill; and which, if it should be shaken again, would certainly fall upon my tent[…]

    1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC
  2. figurativelyThe brink of a dangerous situation.

    to stand on a precipice

    1 more example

    In emailed comments supporting the new initiative, the laureate professor Noam Chomsky said: “Humans are marching towards a precipice. When we reach it, unthinkable catastrophe is inevitable. […]”

    2022 September 14, Arthur Neslen, quoting Noam Chomsky, “Health groups call for global fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty”, in The Guardian
  3. obsoleteA headlong fall or descent.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
cliffcliffdrop
Also see
cliff

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kap-, *keh₂p-“to hold; to seize”
  2. Latinpraecipiō“to teach”
  3. Proto-Indo-European*kap-“head”
  4. Latinpraecipitium“a steep place”
  5. Middle Frenchprecipice
  6. Englishprecipice

First attested in 1598, from Middle French precipice, from Latin praecipitium (“a steep place”), from praeceps (“steep”), from prae + caput (“head”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“head”). Distantly related to precept through Latin praecipiō (“to teach”), from prae + capiō (“take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-, *keh₂p- (“to hold; to seize”).

More words from Middle French, Latin, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κρημνός
  • κρημνός (krēmnós)very steep cliff
Basque amildegi, malkar
  • amildegivery steep cliff
  • malkarvery steep cliff
Bulgarian урва
  • урва (urva)very steep cliff
Catalan precipici, timba
  • precipicivery steep cliff
  • timbavery steep cliff
Chinese Mandarin 懸崖 /悬崖, 絕壁 /绝壁
  • 懸崖 /悬崖 (xuányá)very steep cliff
  • 絕壁 /绝壁 (juébì)very steep cliff
Czech sráz, útes
  • srázvery steep cliff
  • útesvery steep cliff
  • prudký svahvery steep cliff
  • strmá stěnavery steep cliff
  • propastbrink of a dangerous situation
Danish afgrund
  • afgrundbrink of a dangerous situation
Dutch afgrond
  • afgrondvery steep cliff
Finnish jyrkänne, kalliojyrkänne
  • jyrkännevery steep cliff
  • kalliojyrkännevery steep cliff
French précipice
  • précipicevery steep cliff
German Abgrund, Steilhang
  • Abgrundvery steep cliff
  • Steilhangvery steep cliff
  • Abgrundbrink of a dangerous situation
Greek γκρεμνός, γκρεμός
  • γκρεμνός (gkremnós)very steep cliff
  • γκρεμός (gkremós)very steep cliff
Hebrew צוק
  • צוקvery steep cliff
Hindi खड़ी चट्टान, दरद
  • खड़ी चट्टान (khaṛī caṭṭān)very steep cliff
  • दरद (darad)very steep cliff
Indonesian gawir
  • gawirvery steep cliff
Italian precipizio, dirupo
  • precipiziovery steep cliff
  • dirupovery steep cliff
  • baratrovery steep cliff
  • burronevery steep cliff
Japanese 絶壁, 断崖
  • 絶壁 (zeppeki)very steep cliff
  • 断崖 (dangai)very steep cliff
Korean 절벽
  • 절벽 (jeolbyeok)very steep cliff
Latin abruptum
  • abruptumvery steep cliff
Lithuanian skardis, yžius
  • skardisvery steep cliff
  • yžiusvery steep cliff
  • klifasvery steep cliff
Māori tupari, paritū
  • tuparivery steep cliff
  • paritūvery steep cliff
  • tūparengahuavery steep cliff
Polish przepaść
  • przepaśćvery steep cliff
Portuguese precipício
  • precipíciovery steep cliff
Romanian prăpastie, genune
  • prăpastievery steep cliff
  • genunevery steep cliff
  • râpăvery steep cliff
Russian про́пасть, обры́в
  • про́пасть (própastʹ)very steep cliff
  • обры́в (obrýv)very steep cliff
Spanish precipicio, despeñadero
  • precipiciovery steep cliff
  • despeñaderovery steep cliff
Swedish brant, stup
  • brantvery steep cliff
  • stupvery steep cliff
  • stöpvery steep cliff
  • stopvery steep cliff
  • stapevery steep cliff
Turkish uçurum
  • uçurumvery steep cliff
Ukrainian прі́рва, кру́ча
  • прі́рва (prírva)very steep cliff
  • кру́ча (krúča)very steep cliff
Cite this entry
APA

precipice. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precipice

MLA

“precipice.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precipice. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “precipice,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precipice.

Source: precipice on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.