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Definition of precipitate - 12 dictionary results

pre⋅cip⋅i⋅tate

[v. pri-sip-i-teyt; adj., n. pri-sip-i-tit, -teyt]

verb, -tat⋅ed, -tat⋅ing, adjective, noun

Use precipitate in a Sentence

–verb (used with object)

1.	to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or suddenly: to precipitate an international crisis.

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

3.	to cast, plunge, or send, esp. 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.

–verb (used without object)

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

6.	to separate from a solution as a precipitate.

7.	to be cast or thrown down headlong.

–adjective

8.	headlong: a precipitate fall down the stairs.

9.	rushing headlong or rapidly onward.

10.	proceeding rapidly or with great haste: a precipitate retreat.

11.	exceedingly sudden or abrupt: a precipitate stop; a precipitate decision.

12.	done or made without sufficient deliberation; overhasty; rash: a precipitate marriage.

–noun

13.	Chemistry. a substance precipitated from a solution.

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

Origin:
1520–30; (v. and adj.) < L praecipitātus (ptp. of praecipitāre to cast down headlong), equiv. to praecipit- (s. of praeceps steep; see precipice ) + -ātus -ate ¹ ; (n.) < NL praecipitātum a precipitate, n. use of neut. of praecipitātus

Related forms:

pre⋅cip⋅i⋅tate⋅ly, adverb

pre⋅cip⋅i⋅tate⋅ness, noun

pre⋅cip⋅i⋅ta⋅tive, adjective

pre⋅cip⋅i⋅ta⋅tor, noun

Synonyms:
1. accelerate. 4. crystallize. 12. reckless, impetuous.

Antonyms:
1. retard. 12. careful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pre·cip·i·tate (prĭ-sĭp'ĭ-tāt')

v. pre·cip·i·tat·ed, pre·cip·i·tat·ing, pre·cip·i·tates

v. tr.

To throw from or as if from a great height; hurl downward: "The finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below" (Thornton Wilder).
To cause to happen, especially suddenly or prematurely. See Synonyms at speed.
Meteorology To cause (water vapor) to condense and fall from the air as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Chemistry To cause (a solid substance) to be separated from a solution.

v. intr.

Meteorology To condense and fall from the air as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Chemistry To be separated from a solution as a solid.
To fall or be thrown headlong: an ailing economy that precipitated into ruin despite foreign intervention.

adj. (-tĭt)

Moving rapidly and heedlessly; speeding headlong.
Acting with or marked by excessive haste and lack of due deliberation. See Synonyms at impetuous, reckless.
Occurring suddenly or unexpectedly.

n. (-tāt', -tĭt)

Chemistry A solid or solid phase separated from a solution.
A product resulting from a process, event, or course of action.

[Latin praecipitāre, praecipitāt-, to throw headlong, from praeceps, praecipit-, headlong : prae-, pre- + caput, capit-, head; see kaput- in Indo-European roots.]
pre·cip'i·tate·ly (-tĭt-lē) adv., pre·cip'i·tate·ness n., pre·cip'i·ta'tive adj., pre·cip'i·ta'tor n.

Usage Note: The adjective precipitate and the adverb precipitately were once applied to physical steepness but are now used primarily of rash, headlong actions: Their precipitate entry into the foreign markets led to disaster. He withdrew precipitately from the race. Precipitous currently means "steep" in both literal and figurative senses: the precipitous rapids of the upper river; a precipitous drop in commodity prices. But precipitous and precipitously are also frequently used to mean "abrupt, hasty," which takes them into territory that would ordinarily belong to precipitate and precipitately: their precipitous decision to leave. This usage is a natural extension of the use of precipitous to describe a rise or fall in a quantity over time: a precipitous increase in reports of measles is also an abrupt or sudden event. Though this extended use of precipitous is well attested in the work of reputable writers, it is still widely regarded as an error.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Precipitate

Pre*cip"i*tate\, a. [L. praecipitatus, p. p. of praecipitare to precipitate, fr. praeceps headlong. See Precipice.]

1. Overhasty; rash; as, the king was too precipitate in declaring war. --Clarendon.

2. Lacking due deliberation or care; hurried; said or done before the time; as, a precipitate measure. "The rapidity of our too precipitate course." --Landor.

3. Falling, flowing, or rushing, with steep descent; headlong.

Precipitate the furious torrent flows. --Prior.

4. Ending quickly in death; brief and fatal; as, a precipitate case of disease. [Obs.] --Arbuthnot.

Precipitate

Pre*cip"i*tate\, n. [NL. praecipitatum: cf. F. pr['e]cipit['e].]

1. (Chem.) An insoluble substance separated from a solution in a concrete state by the action of some reagent added to the solution, or of some force, such as heat or cold. The precipitate may fall to the bottom (whence the name), may be diffused through the solution, or may float at or near the surface.

Red precipitate (Old. Chem), mercuric oxide (HgO) a heavy red crystalline powder obtained by heating mercuric nitrate, or by heating mercury in the air. Prepared in the latter manner, it was the precipitate per se of the alchemists.

White precipitate (Old Chem.) (a) A heavy white amorphous powder (NH2.HgCl) obtained by adding ammonia to a solution of mercuric chloride or corrosive sublimate; -- formerly called also infusible white precipitate, and now amido-mercuric chloride. (b) A white crystalline substance obtained by adding a solution of corrosive sublimate to a solution of sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride); -- formerly called also fusible white precipitate.

Precipitate

Pre*cip"i*tate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Precipitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Precipitating.]

1. To throw headlong; to cast down from a precipice or height.

She and her horse had been precipitated to the pebbled region of the river. --W. Irving.

2. To urge or press on with eager haste or violence; to cause to happen, or come to a crisis, suddenly or too soon; as, precipitate a journey, or a conflict.

Back to his sight precipitates her steps. --Glover.

If they be daring, it may precipitate their designs, and prove dangerous. --Bacon.

3. (Chem.) To separate from a solution, or other medium, in the form of a precipitate; as, water precipitates camphor when in solution with alcohol.

The light vapor of the preceding evening had been precipitated by the cold. --W. Irving.

Precipitate

Pre*cip"i*tate\, v. i. 1. To dash or fall headlong. [R.]

So many fathom down precipitating. --Shak.

2. To hasten without preparation. [R.]

3. (Chem.) To separate from a solution as a precipitate. See Precipitate, n.

Language Translation for : precipitate

Spanish: precipitado,

German: der Niederschlag,

Japanese: 沈澱物

More Translations »

precipitate [(pri-sip-uh-tayt, pri-sip-uh-tuht)]

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.

precipitate (v.)

"to hurl or fling down," 1528, from L.L. præcipitare "to throw or dive headlong," from præceps (see precipitation). Meaning "to cause to happen" is recorded from 1625. Chemical sense is from 1644; meteorological sense first attested 1863.

Main Entry: ¹pre·cip·i·tate
Pronunciation: pri-'sip-&-"tAt
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: -tat·ed;-tat·ing
transitive senses
1 : to bring about especially abruptly
2 a : to cause to separate from solution or suspension b : to cause (vapor) to condense and fall or deposit precipitate intransitive senses
1 : to fall or come suddenly into some condition
2 : to separate from solution or suspension

Main Entry: ²pre·cip·i·tate
Pronunciation: pri-'sip-&t-&t, -&-"tAt
Function: noun
: a substance separated from asolution or suspension by chemical or physical change usually as an insoluble amorphous or crystalline solid

precipitate pre·cip·i·tate (prĭ-sĭp'ĭ-tāt', -tĭt)
n.

A solid or solid phase separated from a solution.
A punctate opacity on the posterior surface of the cornea developing from inflammatory cells in the vitreous body. Also called punctate keratitis.

v. pre·cip·i·tat·ed, pre·cip·i·tat·ing, pre·cip·i·tates (-tāt')

To cause a solid substance to be separated from a solution.
To be separated from a solution as a solid.

precipitate
Verb

(prĭ-sĭp'ĭ-tāt')
To fall from the atmosphere as rain, snow, or another form of precipitation.
To separate as a solid from a solution in chemical precipitation.

Noun

(prĭ-sĭp'ĭ-tāt', -tĭt)
A solid material precipitated from a solution.

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