Adjacent Words

Precipitate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRECIP'ITATE, v.t. [L. proecipito, from proeceps, headlong. See Precipice.]
1. To throw headlong; as, he precipitated himself from a rock.
2. To urge or press with eagerness or violence; as, to precipitate a flight.
3. To hasten.
Short intermittent and swift recurrent pains do precipitate patients into consumptions.
4. To hurry blindly or rashly.
If they be daring, it may precipitate their designs and prove dangerous.
5. To throw to the bottom of a vessel; as a substance in solution.
All metals may be precipitated by alkaline salts.
PRECIP'ITATE, v.i. To fall headlong.
1. To fall to the bottom of a vessel, as sediment, or any substance in solution.
2. To hasten without preparation.
PRECIP'ITATE, a. Falling, flowing or rushing with steep descent.
Precipitate the furious torrent flows.
1. Headlong; over hasty; rashly hasty; as, the king was too precipitate in declaring war.
2. Adopted with haste or without due deliberation; hasty; as a precipitate measure.
3. Hasty; violent; terminating speedily in death; as a precipitate case of disease.
PRECIP'ITATE, n. A substance which, having been dissolved, is again separated from its solvent and thrown to the bottom of the vessel by pouring another liquor upon it.
Precipitate per se,
Red precipitate, the red oxyd or peroxyd of mercury.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: done with very great haste and without due deliberation; "hasty marriage seldom proveth well"- Shakespeare; "hasty makeshifts take the place of planning"- Arthur Geddes; "rejected what was regarded as an overhasty plan for reconversion"; "wondered whether they had been rather precipitate in deposing the king" [syn: hasty, overhasty, precipitate, precipitant, precipitous] n
1: a precipitated solid substance in suspension or after settling or filtering v
1: bring about abruptly; "The crisis precipitated by Russia's revolution"
2: separate as a fine suspension of solid particles
3: fall from clouds; "rain, snow and sleet were falling"; "Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum" [syn: precipitate, come down, fall]
4: fall vertically, sharply, or headlong; "Our economy precipitated into complete ruin"
5: hurl or throw violently; "The bridge broke and precipitated the train into the river below"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (-tated; -tating) Etymology: Latin praecipitatus, past participle of praecipitare, from praecipit-, praeceps Date: 1528 transitive verb 1. a. to throw violently ; hurl <the quandaries into which the release of nuclear energy has precipitated mankind — A. B. Arons> b. to throw down 2. to bring about especially abruptly <precipitate a scandal that would end with his expulsion — John Cheever> 3. a. to cause to separate from solution or suspension b. to cause (vapor) to condense and fall or deposit intransitive verb 1. a. to fall headlong b. to fall or come suddenly into some condition 2. to move or act precipitately 3. a. to separate from solution or suspension b. to condense from a vapor and fall as rain or snow • precipitative adjective • precipitator noun II. noun Etymology: New Latin praecipitatum, from Latin, neuter of praecipitatus Date: 1594 1. a substance separated from a solution or suspension by chemical or physical change usually as an insoluble amorphous or crystalline solid 2. a product, result, or outcome of some process or action III. adjective Date: 1615 1. a. falling, flowing, or rushing with steep descent b. precipitous, steep 2. exhibiting violent or unwise speed • precipitately adverb • precipitateness noun Synonyms: precipitate, headlong, abrupt, impetuous, sudden mean showing undue haste or unexpectedness. precipitate stresses lack of due deliberation and implies prematureness of action <the army's precipitate withdrawal>. headlong stresses rashness and lack of forethought <a headlong flight from arrest>. abrupt stresses curtness and a lack of warning or ceremony <an abrupt refusal>. impetuous stresses extreme impatience or impulsiveness <an impetuous lover proposing marriage>. sudden stresses unexpectedness and sharpness or violence of action <flew into a sudden rage>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v., adj., & n. --v.tr. 1 hasten the occurrence of; cause to occur prematurely. 2 (foll. by into) send rapidly into a certain state or condition (were precipitated into war). 3 throw down headlong. 4 Chem. cause (a substance) to be deposited in solid form from a solution. 5 Physics a cause (dust etc.) to be deposited from the air on a surface. b condense (vapour) into drops and so deposit it. --adj. 1 headlong; violently hurried (precipitate departure). 2 (of a person or act) hasty, rash, inconsiderate. --n. 1 Chem. a substance precipitated from a solution. 2 Physics moisture condensed from vapour by cooling and depositing, e.g. rain or dew. Derivatives: precipitable adj. precipitability n. precipitately adv. precipitateness n. precipitator n. Etymology: L praecipitare praecipitat- f. praeceps praecipitis headlong (as PRAE-, caput head)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(precipitating, precipitated) 1. If something precipitates an event or situation, usually a bad one, it causes it to happen suddenly or sooner than normal. (FORMAL) The killings in Vilnius have precipitated the worst crisis yet... A slight mistake could precipitate a disaster. = bring about VERB: V n, V n 2. A precipitate action or decision happens or is made more quickly or suddenly than most people think is sensible. (FORMAL) I don't think we should make precipitate decisions... = hasty ADJ: usu ADJ n • precipitately Somebody hired from another country is not likely to resign precipitately... ADV: ADV with v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Throw or hurl headlong, cast down, fling downward. 2. Hasten, hurry, accelerate, speed, expedite, urge forward, quicken, despatch, forward, advance, further, bring on, cause to occur too soon, bring on sooner. 3. (Chem.) Throw down, cause to subside. II. n. (Chem.) Precipitated substance. III. a. 1. Hasty, hurried, rash, headlong, reckless, indiscreet, over-hasty, rashly hasty. 2. Violent, sudden, abrupt.

Moby Thesaurus

a bit previous, abrupt, accelerate, accident-prone, ad-lib, advance, advanced, aftereffect, aftermath, agile, alluvion, alluvium, arduous, ash, blow down, blow over, bowl down, bowl over, breakneck, breathless, bring about, bring down, bring on, bulldog, bundle, bustle, by-product, careless, cascade, cast, cast down, cataract, caught napping, caught off balance, caught short, chop down, cinder, clinker, collapse, come down, consequence, consequent, corollary, crash, crowd, cut down, dash down, dashing, deck, deposit, deposition, deposits, derivation, derivative, descend, desperate, development, devil-may-care, diluvium, dip down, dispatch, distillate, double-quick, down, draff, dregs, drive on, drizzle, drop, drop down, drop off, dross, drum, eagle-winged, effect, electrifying, ember, event, eventuality, eventuation, expedite, expeditious, express, extemporaneous, extemporized, facilitate, fall, fall down, fall off, far ahead, fast, feces, fell, fetch down, fleet, fling, floor, flying, foolhardy, forward, froth, fruit, furious, further, galloping, go down, go downhill, gravitate, ground, grounds, hair-trigger, half-baked, half-cocked, haphazard, harum-scarum, harvest, haste, hasten, hasten on, hasty, head, headlong, headstrong, hew down, hie on, hotheaded, hurl, hurried, hurry, hurry along, hurry on, hurry up, hustle, hustle up, hustling, ill-considered, impatient, impetuous, impromptu, improvised, impulsive, incautious, incite, incline, injudicious, instigate, issue, knock down, launch, lay level, lay low, lay out, lead, lean, lees, legacy, level, light of heel, light-footed, lively, loess, logical outcome, lose altitude, mad, madcap, makeshift, mercurial, meteoric, mizzle, moraine, mow down, nerve-shattering, nimble, nimble-footed, not firm, offscum, offshoot, offspring, outcome, outgrowth, overeager, overenthusiastic, overhasty, oversoon, overzealous, panting, parachute, patter, pelt, pitch, pitter-patter, plummet, plunge, point, pounce, pour, pour down, pour with rain, precipitant, precipitation, precipitous, precocious, premature, press, previous, product, project, prompt, prostrate, provoke, pull down, push, push forward, push on, push through, quick, quick as lightning, quick as thought, quicken, railroad through, rain, rain tadpoles, rapid, rase, rash, raze, reckless, refractory, result, resultant, rough-and-ready, running, rush, rush along, rushed, rushing, scoria, scum, sediment, sedimentate, sedimentation, send headlong, sequel, sequela, sequence, sequent, settle, settlings, sheer, shocking, shower, shower down, sideling, silt, sink, sinter, slag, slap-bang, slapdash, smut, snap, snappy, soot, spanking, spatter, speed, speed along, speed up, speedy, spit, spread-eagle, sprinkle, spur, stampede, startling, stickle, stoop, stream, sublimate, subside, sudden, supinate, surprised, surprising, swift, swoop, take down, taken aback, taken by surprise, taken unawares, tattoo, tend, tend to go, throw, throw down, too early, too soon, topple, trend downward, trigger, trip, tripped up, tumble, unannounced, unanticipated, unarranged, unbegun, unconcocted, uncontrived, uncontrolled, uncrystallized, undeliberated, undevised, unexpected, unforeseen, unhatched, unjelled, unlooked-for, unmade, unmanufactured, unmatured, unmeditated, unorganized, unplanned, unpredicted, unpremeditated, unprepared, unprimed, unready, unrestrained, unripe, unstudied, untimely, upshot, urge, violent, volatile, wanton, weep, whack down, whip, whip along, wild, willful, winged