precipitate
precipitate Lexical Profile
precipitate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To cause an event or situation, typically one that is undesirable or disruptive, to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely.
"The sudden resignation of the finance minister precipitated a severe crisis of confidence in the national currency."
To cause a dissolved substance to separate from a liquid solution as a solid, or to separate out in this manner (in chemistry).
"Lowering the temperature of the saturated solution will precipitate the excess salt as fine crystals."
To condense from water vapor in the atmosphere and fall to the earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
"As the warm, moist air rises over the coastal mountain range, it cools and precipitates as heavy rain."
• adjective
Done, made, or acting suddenly or without careful consideration; rashly hasty.
"The board of directors regretted their precipitate decision to sell the division before reviewing the quarterly projections."
• noun
An insoluble solid substance that emerges from a liquid solution as the result of a chemical reaction or physical change.
"After adding silver nitrate to the sodium chloride solution, the chemist observed a white precipitate settling at the bottom of the beaker."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse the adjective 'precipitate' (meaning hasty, rash, or sudden) with 'precipitous' (which strictly means dangerously steep, like a cliff, though it is frequently misused to mean hasty).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Latin 'praecipitatus', the past participle of 'praecipitare' ('to throw or cast down headlong'), derived from 'praeceps' ('headfirst, steep'), from 'prae-' ('before') and 'caput' ('head').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.