Dictionary.com

precipice

[ pres-uh-pis ]
/ ˈprɛs ə pɪs /
See synonyms for precipice on Thesaurus.com

noun

a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.
a situation of great peril: on the precipice of war.

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Origin of precipice

1590–1600; <Middle French <Latin praecipitium steep place, equivalent to praecipit- (stem of praeceps) steep, headlong (prae-pre- + -cipit-, combining form of caput head; see caput) + -ium-ium

OTHER WORDS FROM precipice

prec·i·piced, adjectiveun·prec·i·piced, adjective

Words nearby precipice

precious coral, precious few, precious metal, precious opal, precious stone, precipice, precipitable, precipitable water, precipitancy, precipitant, precipitate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to precipice

bluff, cliff, crag, steep, height

Example sentences from the Web for precipice

British Dictionary definitions for precipice

precipice
/ (ˈprɛsɪpɪs) /

noun

  1. the steep sheer face of a cliff or crag
  2. the cliff or crag itself
a precarious situation

Derived forms of precipice

precipiced, adjective

Word Origin for precipice

C16: from Latin praecipitium steep place, from praeceps headlong
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012