precipitate

[pri-sip-i-teyt, pri-sip-i-tit, -teyt]

verb (used with object)

precipitated, precipitating 

1. to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or suddenly.

   to precipitate an international crisis.

   Synonyms: accelerate
   Antonyms: retard

2. to cast down headlong; fling or hurl down.

3. to cast, plunge, or send, especially violently or abruptly.

   He precipitated himself into the struggle.

4. Chemistry.,  to separate (a substance) in solid form from a solution, as by means of a reagent.

   Synonyms: crystallize

verb (used without object)

precipitated, precipitating 

1. Meteorology.,  to fall to the earth's surface as a condensed form of water; to rain, snow, hail, drizzle, etc.

2. to separate from a solution as a precipitate.

3. to be cast or thrown down headlong.

adjective

1. headlong.

   a precipitate fall down the stairs.

2. rushing headlong or rapidly onward.

3. proceeding rapidly or with great haste.

   a precipitate retreat.

4. exceedingly sudden or abrupt.

   a precipitate stop; a precipitate decision.

5. done or made without sufficient deliberation; overhasty; rash.

   a precipitate marriage.

   Synonyms: impetuous, reckless
   Antonyms: careful

noun

1. Chemistry.,  a substance precipitated from a solution.

2. moisture condensed in the form of rain, snow, etc.

precipitate

verb

1. (tr) to cause to happen too soon or sooner than expected; bring on

2. to throw or fall from or as from a height

3. to cause (moisture) to condense and fall as snow, rain, etc, or (of moisture, rain, etc) to condense and fall thus

4. chem to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which a dissolved substance separates from solution as a fine suspension of solid particles

adjective

1. rushing ahead

2. done rashly or with undue haste

3. sudden and brief

noun

1. chem a precipitated solid in its suspended form or after settling or filtering

precipitate

1. To fall from the atmosphere as rain, snow, or another form of precipitation.

2. To separate as a solid from a solution in chemical precipitation.

1. A solid material precipitated from a solution.

precipitate

1. In chemistry, a solid material that is formed in a solution by chemical reactions and settles to the bottom of the container in which the reaction takes place. A precipitate may also be a substance removed from another by an artificial filter.

Other Word Forms

• precipitately adverb
• precipitateness noun
• precipitative adjective
• precipitator noun
• nonprecipitative adjective
• unprecipitate adjective
• unprecipitately adverb
• unprecipitateness noun
• unprecipitative adjective
• unprecipitatively adverb
• precipitable adjective
• precipitability noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of precipitate¹

First recorded in 1520–30; the verb and adjective derive from Latin praecipitātus (past participle of praecipitāre “to cast down headlong”), equivalent to praecipit- (stem of praeceps “steep”; precipice ) + -ātus past participle suffix ( -ate ¹ ); the noun comes from New Latin praecipitātum “a precipitate,” noun use of neuter of praecipitātus

Word History and Origins

Origin of precipitate¹

C16: from Latin praecipitāre to throw down headlong, from praeceps headlong, steep, from prae before, in front + caput head

Example Sentences

That’s probably good short-term news for investors, since falling profit margins would precipitate a severe bear market.

Read more on MarketWatch

The outcome precipitated Vermeil’s departure for the Philadelphia Eagles and marked Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes’ final appearance in the Rose Bowl.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The full story of what exactly precipitated the downfall of the BBC's director general and his CEO of News is probably still emerging.

Read more on BBC

Inside of three years, credit default swaps on subprime mortgage bonds would become a trillion-dollar market and precipitate hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of losses inside big Wall Street firms.

Read more on Literature

It was the precipitating factor in the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1980s as nations in Eastern Europe began to liberate themselves from the communist yoke.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accelerate 
• expedite 
• hasten 
• trigger