PRECIPITATE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does precipitate mean? 

• PRECIPITATE (noun)
  The noun PRECIPITATE has 1 sense:

1. a precipitated solid substance in suspension or after settling or filtering

  Familiarity information: PRECIPITATE used as a noun is very rare.

• PRECIPITATE (adjective)
  The adjective PRECIPITATE has 1 sense:

1. done with very great haste and without due deliberation

  Familiarity information: PRECIPITATE used as an adjective is very rare.

• PRECIPITATE (verb)
  The verb PRECIPITATE has 5 senses:

1. bring about abruptly

2. separate as a fine suspension of solid particles

3. fall from clouds

4. fall vertically, sharply, or headlong

5. hurl or throw violently

  Familiarity information: PRECIPITATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRECIPITATE (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)

• PRECIPITATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Done with very great haste and without due deliberation

Synonyms:

hasty; overhasty; precipitant; precipitate; precipitous

Context example:

wondered whether they had been rather precipitate in deposing the king

Similar:

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

Derivation:

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

• PRECIPITATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they precipitate    ... he / she / it precipitates   
Past simple: precipitated   
Past participle: precipitated   
-ing form: precipitating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bring about abruptly

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

The crisis precipitated by Russia's revolution

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 2

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 3

Meaning:

Fall from clouds

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Synonyms:

come down; fall; precipitate

Context example:

Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum

"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)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Fall vertically, sharply, or headlong

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

Our economy precipitated into complete ruin

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:

Hurl or throw violently

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The bridge broke and precipitated the train into the river below

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)

 Context examples 

In comparison with the calcium salt, sodium salt does not form precipitate when mixed other folate antagonists.

(Leucovorin Sodium, NCI Thesaurus)

They are precipitated into the microvasculature on exposure to cold and cause restricted blood flow in exposed areas.

(Cryoglobulinemia, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Dermatitis caused or precipitated by exposure to ultraviolet sunlight, or by mediating phototoxic or photoallergic material in response to ultraviolet sunlight.

(Photosensitive Dermatitis, NCI Thesaurus)

I burned with rage to pursue the murderer of my peace and precipitate him into the ocean.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The man, dead or alive, either fell or was precipitated from a train.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Martin precipitated it by reading to her his "The Shame of the Sun."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

When ice forms, salts precipitate out.

(Ganymede may harbor 'club sandwich' of oceans and ice, NASA)

In a co-IP the target antigen precipitated by the antibody "co-precipitates" a binding partner/protein complex from a lysate.

(Co-Immunoprecipitation, NCI Thesaurus)

A flare of acne which may be precipitated by variety of factors, including hormonal activity, stress, oils and oily cosmetics, sweat, overwashing, and certain foods and drugs.

(Aggravated Acne, NCI Thesaurus)

López García cautioned, some silica-rich Dallol mineral precipitates may look like microbial cells under a microscope, so what is seen must be analyzed well.

(Place discovered on earth with no microbial life, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)