You searched for: “precipitate
precipice, precipitate, precipitate, precipitous
precipice (PRES uh pis) (noun)
1. An overhanging or extremely steep mass of rock; such as, a crag or the face of a cliff: He stood on the edge of the precipice as he looked down at the villages.
2. A point where danger, trouble, or difficulty begins: The company is on the edge of a hazardous financial precipice.
precipitate (pri SIP i tayt") (verb)
1. To bring about before expected or needed; to hasten the occurrence of: Andrew must not have been aware that he was about to precipitate a quarrel about the meaning of the word.
2. To send someone or something suddenly and rapidly into a particular state or condition: The sudden death of Lenora's mother could only precipitate a severe family crisis.
precipitate (pri SIP i tit") (adjective)
Hasty, rash, without due deliberation: The precipitate and impulsive act was a cause for much regret.
precipitous (pri SIP i tuhs) (adjective)
1. Very steep and perpendicular: It was a precipitous slope and very dangerous for climbers.
2. Referring to an incident which happens in a very quick and sudden way: There has been a precipitous decline in home sales recently.

People were shocked by the mayor's precipitous fall from political power.

The bank president's precipitous decision will probably precipitate a jumping off of the precipice (figuratively speaking) by the manager unless his decision is carefully reviewed.

precipitate (verb), precipitates; precipitated; precipitating
1. To send someone or something suddenly and rapidly into a particular state or condition: Sam had to be careful while standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, otherwise one false step might precipitate him down into the bottom of the canyon!
2. To cause a liquid or solid forms of water, condensed in the atmosphere, to fall to the ground: Excess moisture in the sky is precipitated as rain, snow, or hail, depending on the season of the year.
3. To throw someone or something from a great height, or to fall from a great height: Jack dropped a stone from the bridge high above the river and it precipitated down into the swirling roar below.
4. To cause a substance in a solution to settle down into solid particles: A chemical sediment occurs when certain substances are precipitated by an inorganic or organic process.
5. To occur with undue rapidity: The steep rise in prices for gas precipitated street rioting.
6. Etymology: from Latin praeceps, praecipitis, "headlong, steep"; from prae-, "before, forth" + caput, "head".
This entry is located in the following units: capit-, capt-, cap-, cep-, ceps-, chapt-, chef, cip- (page 5) pre-, prae- (page 4)
precipitate (adjective); more precipitate, most precipitate
1. Descriptive of something which is made, done, or acted on very quickly or too fast without enough thinking or planning: Jim and Jane made a precipitate decision to go on a trip before they had prepared the details necessary to make such a commitment.
2. Referring to a situation or event occurring with haste or speed: Linda had to make more precipitate choices for the rest of her final exam at school because there was only five minutes more to complete it.
3. Etymology: from Latin praecipitatus, "hurl headlong, fall, be hasty" from praeceps, "headlong"; prae-, "forth, before" + caput, "head".
A reference to being very hasty.
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This entry is located in the following unit: pre-, prae- (page 4)
Word Entries at Get Words: “precipitate
precipitate
1. Throw headlong.
2. To bring on suddenly, hastily, or unexpectedly.

"The steep rise in prices precipitated street rioting."