Wiktionary

precipitant

See also: précipitant

English edit

WOTD – 29 November 2023

Etymology edit

The adjective is borrowed from Middle French précipitant, Old French precipitant (“acting hastily, hasty, rash; acting, happening, or moving rapidly; pressing”) (modern French précipitant), and from their etymon Late Latin praecipitans (“hasty, rash”), an adjective use of Latin praecipitāns, the present participle of praecipitō (“to cast down; to throw headlong”),[1] from praeceps (“head first, headlong; (figurative) hasty, rash”) (from prae (“before; in front”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- (“before; in front”)) + -ceps (suffix meaning ‘having a head with specified characteristics’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“a head”))).

The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.[1][2]

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

precipitant (comparative more precipitant, superlative most precipitant)

  1. Inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration; hasty, impulsive, rash.
    Synonyms: heedless, hotheaded, impetuous; see also Thesaurus:reckless
    • 1656, Philophilus Parresiastes [pseudonym; Henry More], Enthusiasmus Triumphatus, or, A Discourse of the Nature, Causes, Kinds, and Cure, of Enthusiasme; […], London: […] J[ames] Flesher, […], →OCLC, paragraph 27, page 27:
      [T]heſe dreams the præcipitant and unskilfull are forvvard to conceit to be Repreſentations extraordinary and ſupernatural, vvhich they call Revelations or Viſions, of vvhich there can be no certainty at all no more then of a Dream.
      A noun use, meaning “people who are precipitant”.
    • 1742, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXXIV”, in Pamela; Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume IV, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; and sold by J. Osborn, […]; and J[ohn] Rivington, […], →OCLC, page 224:
      She had good Qualities—is generous—noble—but has ſtrong Paſſions, and is thoughtleſs and precipitant.
  2. Of a fall: straight downwards; headlong.
    Synonym: precipitate
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 561–565:
      [W]ithout further pauſe / Down right into the Worlds firſt Region throws / His flight precipitant, and windes with eaſe / Through the pure marble Air his oblique way / Amongſt innumerable Starrs, […]
    • 1708, [John Philips], “Book II”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 59:
      [H]eedleſs vvhile they [the birds] ſtrain / Their tuneful Throats, the tovv'ring, heavy Lead [i.e., bullets] / O'er-takes their Speed; they leave their little Lives / Above the clouds, præcipitant to Earth.
  3. (chiefly figurative) Acting, happening, or moving quickly; fast, rapid, swift; also, abrupt, sudden, unexpected.
    (fast):
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:speedy
    Antonyms: see Thesaurus:slow
    (sudden): Synonyms: precipitous; see also Thesaurus:sudden
    • 1676 November 19 (Gregorian calendar), Nehemiah Grew, “The Anatomy of Leaves, Flowers, Fruits and Seeds. […] The Fourth Book. Chapter V. Of the Use of the Attire.”, in The Anatomy of Plants. […], [London]: […] W. Rawlins, for the author, published 1682, →OCLC, part II (The Anatomy of Flowers, […]), page 172:
      [W]ere the Aer copiouſly mixed vvith the Sap here, as in the Pith, Fruit, and other Parenchymous Parts; it vvould give ſo quick a Ferment to the Sap, as to dilate and amplify the Bladders of the Seed, beyond its preſent compact and durable Texture; and ſo expoſe it, either to a precipitant Grovvth, or ſudden Rot.
    • 1725, Homer, “Book I”, in [Elijah Fenton], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 26, lines 211–214:
      Shou'd he return, that troop ſo blithe and bold, / VVith purple robes invvrought, and ſtiff vvith gold, / Precipitant in fear, vvou'd vving their flight, / And curſe their cumbrous pride's unvvieldy vveight.
  4. (chemistry) That causes precipitation (“formation of a heavier solid in a lighter liquid as a result of a chemical reaction”).

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

inclined to make rapid decisions without due consideration — see hasty,‎ impulsive,‎ rash
of a fall: straight downwards — see headlong
acting, happening, or moving quickly — see fast,‎ rapid,‎ swift
abrupt, sudden, unexpected — see abrupt,‎ sudden,‎ unexpected

Adverb edit

precipitant (comparative more precipitant, superlative most precipitant)

  1. (archaic) Synonym of precipitantly (“in a precipitant or headlong manner; with foolish or rash haste”)
    • 1708, [John Philips], “Book II”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 68:
      The Hoary Froſts, and Northern Blaſts take care / Thy muddy Bev'rage to ſerene, and drive / Præcipitant the baſer, ropy Lees.

Translations edit

synonym of precipitantly — see precipitantly

Noun edit

precipitant (plural precipitants)

  1. Something which causes or hastens the occurrence of an act or event; specifically (chiefly psychology), something which brings about a mental or physiological condition.
  2. (chemistry) A substance that, when added to a solution, causes a dissolved substance to form a precipitate.
    • 1685, Robert Boyle, “Short Memoirs for the Natural Experimental History of Mineral Waters. […]”, in The Works of the Honourable Robert Boyle. […], volume IV, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], published 1744, →OCLC, page 241, column 2:
      [B]y putting ſome of the arſenical liquor into a ſtrong ſolution of common ſublimate made in fair vvater […] vve had a copious precipitate, ſuch as might have been expected from an alcaline precipitant; […]

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

References edit

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Compare “precipitant, adj. (and adv.) and n.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2023.
  2. ^ “precipitant, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading edit

Catalan edit

Verb edit

precipitant

  1. gerund of precipitar

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French précipitant.

Noun edit

precipitant m (plural precipitanți)

  1. (chemistry) precipitate

Declension edit

Declension of precipitant
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) precipitant precipitantul (niște) precipitanți precipitanții
genitive/dative (unui) precipitant precipitantului (unor) precipitanți precipitanților
vocative precipitantule precipitanților
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