precipitate

present singular third person precipitates · participle present precipitating · participle past precipitated · past precipitated · alternative præcipitate

1. transitiveTo make something happen suddenly and quickly.

   it precipitated their success

   4 more examples

   to precipitate a journey, or a conflict

   if they be stout and daring, it may precipitate their designs, and prove dangerous

   1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Ambition”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC

   Back to his sight precipitates her steps.

   Freshly arrived in Paris in 1871 at the age of 17, Rimbaud proceded ^([sic]) to precipitate the collapse of Verlaine's marital menage, and with it his social position.

   1979 December 29, Rudy Kikel, “Young Men”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 23, page 15

   Synonyms: advance, accelerate, hasten, speed up

2. transitiveTo throw an object or person from a great height.

   In gallopping heedlessly along, with her eyes turned upwards, she had unwarily approached too near the bank; it had given way with her, and she and her horse had been precipitated to the pebbled margin of the river.

   1822 May 21, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Hawking”, in Bracebridge Hall, or The Humourists. A Medley. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] C. S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 182

   Synonyms: throw, fling, cast, bung, cast, chuck, chunk, cook

3. transitiveTo send violently into a certain state or condition.

   we were precipitated into a conflict

4. intransitive(chemistry) To come out of a liquid solution into solid form.

   Adding the acid will cause the salt to precipitate.

5. transitive(chemistry) To separate a substance out of a liquid solution into solid form.
6. intransitiveclimatologyTo 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.

7. transitiveTo cause (water in the air) to condense or fall to the ground.

   The light vapour of the preceding evening had been precipitated by the cold.

   1819 June 23 – 1820 September 13, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “(please specify the title)”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC

8. intransitiveTo fall headlong.
9. intransitiveTo act too hastily; to be precipitous.

comparative more precipitate · superlative most precipitate · alternative præcipitate

1. headlong; falling steeply or vertically.

   When the full stores their ancient bounds disdain, / Precipitate the furious torrent flows.

   1718, Matthew Prior, Solomon, book 2, lines 853–854

   Synonyms: headlong, precipitant, precipitous

2. Very steep; precipitous.

   Synonyms: brant

3. With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong.

   1 more example

   Though thoughtful far beyond your years, you are very inexperienced; and I would not have a preference that may originate in your little knowledge of others, or a romantic exaggeration of slight kindnesses, lead you into a precipitate union with me, unless you most seriously examine your own heart, and weigh the various consequences.

   1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 145

   Synonyms: hotheaded, impetuous, rash, daring, devil-may-care, headstrong, heedless, impetuous

4. Moving with excessive speed or haste; overly hasty.

   a precipitate case of disease

   3 more examples

   The king was too precipitate in declaring war.

   Being a trifle precipitate in his entry, he trod on a bottle, and was instantly extinguished by a Japanese screen, which appeared to collapse on him out of pure decrepitude.

   1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 5

   'One moment!" said Malone. "I beg, sir, that you will not be precipitate. I value your friendship too much to risk the loss of it if it can, in any way, be avoided."

   1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019

5. Performed very rapidly or abruptly.

   It had cost me a distinct psychological effort to do so, and now that I was shut inside I had a momentary longing for precipitate retreat.

   1931, H[oward] P[hillips] Lovecraft, chapter 6, in The Whisperer in Darkness

   Synonyms: abrupt, precipitous, subitaneous, abrupt, precipitant, precipitous, spontaneous, subitaneous

plural precipitates · alternative præcipitate

1. A product resulting from a process, event, or course of action.

   As for the musculature it is a precipitate of Spirit and the signature of the cosmos is in it.

   1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 381

2. chemistryA solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution.