precipitant

[pri-sip-i-tuh nt]

See more synonyms for precipitant on Thesaurus.com

adjective

falling headlong.
rushing headlong, rapidly, or hastily onward.
hasty; rash.

unduly sudden or abrupt.

noun

Chemistry. anything that causes precipitation.

Origin of precipitant

1600–10; < Latin praecipitant- (stem of praecipitāns), present participle of praecipitāre to cast down headlong. See precipitate, -ant

Related formspre·cip·i·tant·ly, adverbun·pre·cip·i·tant, adjectiveun·pre·cip·i·tant·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for precipitant

harum-scarum, bold, irrational, madcap, wild, precipitate, daring, quick, jerky, rushing, adventurous, audacious, brash, determined, devil-may-care, fiery, foolhardy, frenzied, furious, harebrained

Examples from the Web for precipitant

Historical Examples of precipitant

The Ph. Grca orders infusion of galls to be used as the precipitant.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley
The degree of separation of water (spent lye) depends upon the amount of precipitant used.
The Handbook of Soap Manufacture
W. H. Simmons
However, the appearance of the new arrival greatly modified the unfavorable impression produced by his precipitant action.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar
Maurice Leblanc
Potassium hydrate and ammonia give black grey or black precipitates, which are insoluble in excess of the precipitant.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley
Ammonia gives a similar precipitate, which is soluble in excess of the precipitant.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II
Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for precipitant

precipitant

adjective

hasty or impulsive; rash
rushing or falling rapidly or without heed
abrupt or sudden

noun

chem a substance or agent that causes a precipitate to form

Derived Formsprecipitance or precipitancy, nounprecipitantly, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for precipitant

adj.

1610s, from Latin precipitantem, present participle of praecipitare (see precipitate (v.)). As a noun in chemistry from 1680s. The adjective senses now are taken by precipitate (adj.).

precipitant in Medicine

precipitant

[prĭ-sĭp′ĭ-tənt]

A substance that causes a precipitate to form when it is added to a solution.