precipitate

Verb

precipitate (third-person singular simple present precipitates, present participle precipitating, simple past and past participle precipitated)

1. (transitive) To make something happen suddenly and quickly.
   • to precipitate a journey, or a conflict
   • it precipitated their success

   Synonyms:

   advance, accelerate, hasten, speed up

2. (transitive) To throw an object or person from a great height.
   • In gallopping heedlessly along, with her eyes turned upwards, she had unwarily approached too near the bank; it had given way with her, and she and her horse had been precipitated to the pebbled margin of the river.1822 May 21, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Hawking”, in Bracebridge Hall, or The Humourists. A Medley. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] C. S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page 182

   Synonyms:

   throw, fling, cast, bung, chuck, chunk, cook, dash, dump, feck

3. (transitive) To send violently into a certain state or condition.
   • we were precipitated into a conflict
4. (intransitive) (chemistry) To come out of a liquid solution into solid form.
   • Adding the acid will cause the salt to precipitate.
5. (transitive) (chemistry) To separate a substance out of a liquid solution into solid form.
6. (intransitive) To have water in the air fall to the ground, for example as rain, snow, sleet, or hail; be deposited as condensed droplets.
   • It will precipitate tomorrow, but we don't know whether as rain or snow.
7. (transitive) To cause (water in the air) to condense or fall to the ground.
   • The light vapour of the preceding evening had been precipitated by the cold.1819 June 23 – 1820 September 13, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “(please specify the title)”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van...
8. (intransitive) To fall headlong.
9. (intransitive) To act too hastily; to be precipitous.

Adjective

UK/pɹɪˈsɪpɪtət/

precipitate (comparative more precipitate, superlative most precipitate)

1. headlong; falling steeply or vertically.
   • When the full stores their ancient bounds disdain, / Precipitate the furious torrent flows.1718, Matthew Prior, Solomon, book 2, lines 853–854

   Synonyms:

   headlong, precipitant, precipitous

2. Very steep; precipitous.

   Synonyms:

   brant

3. With a hasty impulse; hurried; headstrong.
   • Though thoughtful far beyond your years, you are very inexperienced; and I would not have a preference that may originate in your little knowledge of others, or a romantic exaggeration of slight kindnesses, lead you into a precipitate union with me, unless you most seriously examine your own heart...1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 145

   Synonyms:

   hotheaded, impetuous, rash, daring, devil-may-care, headstrong, heedless, imprudent, impulsive, precipitant

4. Moving with excessive speed or haste; overly hasty.
   • The king was too precipitate in declaring war.
   • a precipitate case of disease
5. Performed very rapidly or abruptly.
   • It had cost me a distinct psychological effort to do so, and now that I was shut inside I had a momentary longing for precipitate retreat.1931, H[oward] P[hillips] Lovecraft, chapter 6, in The Whisperer in Darkness

   Synonyms:

   abrupt, precipitous, subitaneous, precipitant, spontaneous, sudden, suddent

Noun

UK/pɹɪˈsɪpɪtət/

precipitate (plural precipitates)

1. A product resulting from a process, event, or course of action.
   • As for the musculature it is a precipitate of Spirit and the signature of the cosmos is in it.1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 381
2. A solid that exits the liquid phase of a solution.