precipice

[pres-uh-pis]

noun

1. a cliff with a vertical, nearly vertical, or overhanging face.

2. a situation of great peril.

   on the precipice of war.

precipice

/ ˈprɛsɪpɪs /

noun

1. 1. the steep sheer face of a cliff or crag

   2. the cliff or crag itself

2. a precarious situation

Other Word Forms

• precipiced adjective
• unprecipiced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of precipice¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of precipice¹

C16: from Latin praecipitium steep place, from praeceps headlong

Example Sentences

Environmental advocates fear that many more landfills may be on the precipice of these largely unmanageable disasters.

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Smith stood at the precipice of stardom four years later, when she released “Wave” in 1979.

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Helpless, Penelope stood like a statue, not daring to take a step lest she tumble off some unseen precipice.

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Japanese horse racing has been on the precipice of breaking through on the U.S. scene.

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Cathie Wood is a firm believer that the economy is on the precipice of a technological revolution.

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Related Words

• bluff 
• cliff 
• crag