Precipitate
/prɪˈsɪp.ɪ.teɪt/noun
To cause something to happen suddenly, or to separate a solid from a solution.
Did you know?Precipitate comes from Latin praecipitāre, from prae- (“before”) + caput (“head”), so its oldest sense is literally the image of falling headfirst; the chemistry meaning came much later.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praecipitāre
“to throw headlong, hurl down, or fall headfirst”
Latin
Latin
praeceps
“headlong; steep; falling forward”
14th Century
English
precipitat
“thrown or falling headlong; rash, hasty”
16th Century
English
precipitate
“to throw down violently; later, to cause a substance to separate from a solution”
Modern English
English
precipitate
“to cause to happen suddenly, or a solid formed from a solution”
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