precipitate — precipitate, precipitous 1. The two words overlap in meaning and were used interchangeably from the 17c to the 19c. Precipitous has a physical meaning ‘sheer like a precipice’: • There was a precipitous wooden stair to the ground floor A. Craig,… … Modern English usage
precipitous — precipitate, precipitous 1. The two words overlap in meaning and were used interchangeably from the 17c to the 19c. Precipitous has a physical meaning ‘sheer like a precipice’: • There was a precipitous wooden stair to the ground floor A. Craig,… … Modern English usage
precipitant, precipitate, precipitous — All three come from the same root, the Latin praecipitare ( to throw headlong ). Precipitous means very steep: cliff faces are precipitous. Precipitant and precipitate both indicate a headlong rush and are almost indistinguishable in meaning,… … Dictionary of troublesome word
precipitant, precipitate, precipitous — All three come from the same root, the Latin praecipitare ( to throw headlong ). Precipitous means very steep: cliff faces are precipitous. Precipitant and precipitate both indicate a headlong rush and are almost indistinguishable in meaning,… … Dictionary of troublesome word
precipitant, precipitate, precipitous — All three come from the same root, the Latin praecipitare ( to throw headlong ). Precipitous means very steep: cliff faces are precipitous. Precipitant and precipitate both indicate a headlong rush and are almost indistinguishable in meaning,… … Dictionary of troublesome word
precipitous — See precipitate, precipitous … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
precipitate — See precipitate, precipitous … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
precipitous — precipitate [v] hurry, speed accelerate, advance, bring on, cast, discharge, dispatch, expedite, fling, further, hasten, hurl, launch, let fly, press, push forward, quicken, send forth, speed up, throw, trigger; concepts 152,242,704 Ant. check,… … New thesaurus
precipitate — [v] hurry, speed accelerate, advance, bring on, cast, discharge, dispatch, expedite, fling, further, hasten, hurl, launch, let fly, press, push forward, quicken, send forth, speed up, throw, trigger; concepts 152,242,704 Ant. check, slow, wait… … New thesaurus
Precipitous — Pre*cip i*tous, a. [L. praeceps, cipitis: cf. OF. precipiteux. See {Precipice}.] 1. Steep, like a precipice; as, a precipitous cliff or mountain. [1913 Webster] 2. Headlong; as, precipitous fall. [1913 Webster] 3. Hasty; rash; quick; sudden;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
