Library / English Dictionary

PRECIPITATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A precipitated solid substance in suspension or after settling or filtering

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("precipitate" is a kind of...):

solid (matter that is solid at room temperature and pressure)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "precipitate"):

sludge (the precipitate produced by sewage treatment)

Derivation:

precipitate (separate as a fine suspension of solid particles)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Done with very great haste and without due deliberation

Example:

wondered whether they had been rather precipitate in deposing the king

Synonyms:

hasty; overhasty; precipitant; precipitate; precipitous

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

hurried (moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste)

Derivation:

precipitateness (the quality of happening with headlong haste or without warning)

 III. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Separate as a fine suspension of solid particles

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "precipitate" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

precipitant (an agent that causes a precipitate to form)

precipitate (a precipitated solid substance in suspension or after settling or filtering)

precipitation (the process of forming a chemical precipitate)

precipitator (removes dust particles from gases by electrostatic precipitation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Hurl or throw violently

Example:

The bridge broke and precipitated the train into the river below

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "precipitate" is one way to...):

cast; hurl; hurtle (throw forcefully)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

precipitation (an unexpected acceleration or hastening)

precipitation (the act of casting down or falling headlong from a height)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Bring about abruptly

Example:

The crisis precipitated by Russia's revolution

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "precipitate" is one way to...):

effect; effectuate; set up (produce)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

precipitant (done with very great haste and without due deliberation)

precipitation (an unexpected acceleration or hastening)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Fall vertically, sharply, or headlong

Example:

Our economy precipitated into complete ruin

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "precipitate" is one way to...):

come down; descend; fall; go down (move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

precipitation (the act of casting down or falling headlong from a height)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Fall from clouds

Example:

Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum

Synonyms:

come down; fall; precipitate

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

"Precipitate" entails doing...:

condense; distil; distill (undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops)

Verb group:

fall (descend in free fall under the influence of gravity)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "precipitate"):

rain; rain down (precipitate as rain)

spat (come down like raindrops)

snow (fall as snow)

hail (precipitate as small ice particles)

sleet (precipitate as a mixture of rain and snow)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

precipitation (the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist))

precipitation (the quantity of water falling to earth at a specific place within a specified period of time)

Credits

 Context examples: 

I am very sensible, madam, of the hardship to my fair cousins, and could say much on the subject, but that I am cautious of appearing forward and precipitate.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Cryoglobulins are abnormal proteins that precipitate within the microvasculature on exposure to cold; microvasculature effects of cryoglobulinemia may result in restricted tissue blood flow, tissue hypoxia, and tissue necrosis. —2004

(Cryoglobulinemia, NCI Thesaurus)

I began to walk slowly round, therefore, feeling in every direction to find out what this strange place could be into which I had been so opportunely precipitated.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A process to isolate plasma proteins by cooling the plasma to form a precipitate.

(Plasma Protein Cryoprecipitation, NCI Thesaurus)

It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder precipitated by several factors, including local infection, and smoking.

(Palmoplantar Pustulosis, NCI Thesaurus)

If the particles enter those storm clouds they will precipitate with the rain.

(Australian bushfire smoke drifts to South America, SciDev.Net)

An anxiety disorder precipitated by an experience of intense fear or horror while exposed to a traumatic (especially life-threatening) event.

(Acute Stress Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

He worked faithfully in the harness, for the toil had become a delight to him; yet it was a greater delight slyly to precipitate a fight amongst his mates and tangle the traces.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

I am never precipitate in my actions, nor would I adopt so energetic and, indeed, so dangerous a course, if any other were possible.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Stalagmites are cave pillars made largely of calcium carbonate or limestone, in association with trace elements such as magnesium, that is precipitated by rainwater.

(Cave stalagmites reveal India’s rainfall secrets, SciDev.Net)