Precipient Pre·cip"i·ent adjective [ Latin
praecipiens , present participle See
Precept .]
Commanding; directing.
Precipitability Pre·cip`i·ta·bil"i·ty noun The quality or state of being precipitable.
Precipitable Pre·cip"i·ta·ble adjective Capable of being precipitated, or cast to the bottom, as a substance in solution. See Precipitate , noun (Chemistry)
Precipitance, Precipitancy Pre·cip"i·tance, Pre·cip"i·tan·cy noun [ From
Precipitant .]
The quality or state of being precipitant, or precipitate; headlong hurry; excessive or rash haste in resolving, forming an opinion, or executing a purpose; precipitation; as, the precipitancy of youth. "
Precipitance of judgment."
I. Watts.
Precipitant Pre·cip"i·tant adjective [ Latin
praecipitans ,
-antis , present participle of
praecipitare : confer French
précipitant . See
Precipitate .]
1. Falling or rushing headlong; rushing swiftly, violently, or recklessly; moving precipitately. They leave their little lives
Above the clouds, precipitant to earth.
J. Philips. Should he return, that troop so blithe and bold,
Precipitant in fear would wing their flight.
Pope. 2. Unexpectedly or foolishly brought on or hastened; rashly hurried; hasty; sudden; reckless. Jer. Taylor. "
Precipitant rebellion."
Eikon Basilike.
Precipitant Pre·cip"i·tant noun (Chemistry) Any force or reagent which causes the formation of a precipitate.
Precipitantly Pre·cip"i·tant·ly adverb With rash or foolish haste; in headlong manner. Milton.
Precipitantness Pre·cip"i·tant·ness noun The quality or state of being precipitant; precipitation.
Precipitate Pre·cip"i·tate adjective [ Latin
praecipitatus , past participle of
praecipitare to precipitate, from
praeceps headlong. See
Precipice .]
1. Overhasty; rash; as, the king was too precipitate in declaring war. Clarendon. 2. Lacking due deliberation or care; hurried; said or done before the time; as, a precipitate measure. "The rapidity of our too
precipitate course."
Landor. 3. Falling, flowing, or rushing, with steep descent; headlong. Precipitate the furious torrent flows.
Prior. 4. Ending quickly in death; brief and fatal; as, a precipitate case of disease. [ Obsolete]
Arbuthnot.
Precipitate Pre·cip"i·tate noun [ New Latin
praecipitatum : confer French
précipité .]
1. (Chemistry) An insoluble substance separated from a solution in a concrete state by the action of some reagent added to the solution, or of some force, such as heat or cold. The precipitate may fall to the bottom (whence the name), may be diffused through the solution, or may float at or near the surface. Red precipitate (Old. Chem) ,
mercuric oxide (HgO) a heavy red crystalline powder obtained by heating mercuric nitrate, or by heating mercury in the air. Prepared in the latter manner, it was the precipitate per se of the alchemists. --
White precipitate (Old Chem.) (a) A heavy white amorphous powder (NH 2 .HgCl) obtained by adding ammonia to a solution of mercuric chloride or corrosive sublimate; -- formerly called also infusible white precipitate , and now amido-mercuric chloride . (b) A white crystalline substance obtained by adding a solution of corrosive sublimate to a solution of sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride); -- formerly called also fusible white precipitate .
Precipitate Pre·cip"i·tate transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Precipitated ;
present participle & verbal noun Precipitating .]
1. To throw headlong; to cast down from a precipice or height. She and her horse had been precipitated to the pebbled region of the river.
W. Irving. 2. To urge or press on with eager haste or violence; to cause to happen, or come to a crisis, suddenly or too soon; as, precipitate a journey, or a conflict. Back to his sight precipitates her steps.
Glover. If they be daring, it may precipitate their designs, and prove dangerous.
Bacon. 3. (Chemistry) To separate from a solution, or other medium, in the form of a precipitate; as, water precipitates camphor when in solution with alcohol. The light vapor of the preceding evening had been precipitated by the cold.
W. Irving.
Precipitate Pre·cip"i·tate intransitive verb 1. To dash or fall headlong. [ R.]
So many fathom down precipitating .
Shak. 2. To hasten without preparation. [ R.]
3. (Chemistry) To separate from a solution as a precipitate. See Precipitate , noun
Precipitately Pre·cip"i·tate·ly adverb In a precipitate manner; headlong; hastily; rashly. Swift.
Precipitation Pre·cip`i·ta"tion noun [ Latin
praecipitatio : confer French
précipitation .]
1. The act of precipitating, or the state of being precipitated, or thrown headlong. In peril of precipitation
From off rock Tarpeian.
Shak. 2. A falling, flowing, or rushing downward with violence and rapidity. The hurry, precipitation , and rapid motion of the water, returning . . . towards the sea.
Woodward. 3. Great hurry; rash, tumultuous haste; impetuosity. "The
precipitation of inexperience."
Rambler. 4. (Chemistry) The act or process of precipitating from a solution.
Precipitation Pre·cip`i·ta"tion noun (Meteor.) A deposit on the earth of hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow; also, the quantity of water deposited. » Deposits of dew, fog, and frost are not regarded by the United States Weather Bureau as
precipitation . Sleet and snow are melted, and the record of
precipitation shows the depth of the horizontal layers of water in hundredths of an inch or in millimeters.
Precipitator Pre·cip"i·ta`tor noun [ Latin
praecipitator an overthrower.]
One who precipitates, or urges on with vehemence or rashness. Hammond.
Precipitious Prec`i·pi"tious adjective Precipitous. [ Obsolete] --
Prec`i*pi"tious*ly ,
adverb [ Obsolete]
Dr. H. More.
Precipitous Pre·cip"i·tous adjective [ Latin
praeceps ,
-cipitis : confer Old French
precipiteux . See
Precipice .]
1. Steep, like a precipice; as, a precipitous cliff or mountain. 2. Headlong; as, precipitous fall. 3. Hasty; rash; quick; sudden; precipitate; as, precipitous attempts. Sir T. Browne. "Marian's low,
precipitous ‘Hush!'"
Mrs. Browning. --
Pre*cip"i*tous*ly ,
adverb --
Pre*cip"i*tous*ness ,
noun
Précis Pré`cis" (pra`sē")
noun [ French See
Precise .]
A concise or abridged statement or view; an abstract; a summary.
Precise Pre·cise" adjective [ Latin
praecisus cut off, brief, concise, past participle of
praecidere to cut off in front, to cut off;
prae before +
caedere to cut: confer French
précis . Confer
Concise .]
1. Having determinate limitations; exactly or sharply defined or stated; definite; exact; nice; not vague or equivocal; as, precise rules of morality. The law in this point is not precise .
Bacon. For the hour precise
Exacts our parting hence.
Milton. 2. Strictly adhering or conforming to rule; very nice or exact; punctilious in conduct or ceremony; formal; ceremonious. Addison. He was ever precise in promise- keeping.
Shak. Syn. -- Accurate; exact; definite; correct; scrupulous; punctilious; particular; nice; formal. See
Accurate . --
Pre*cise"ly ,
adverb --
Pre*cise"ness ,
noun
Precisian Pre·ci"sian noun 1. One who limits, or restrains. [ Obsolete]
2. An overprecise person; one rigidly or ceremoniously exact in the observance of rules; a formalist; -- formerly applied to the English Puritans. The most dissolute cavaliers stood aghast at the dissoluteness of the emancipated precisian .
Macaulay.
Precisianism Pre·ci"sian·ism noun The quality or state of being a precisian; the practice of a precisian. Milton.
Precisianist Pre·ci"sian·ist noun A precisian.
Precision Pre·ci"sion noun [ Confer French
précision , Latin
praecisio a cutting off. See
Precise .]
The quality or state of being precise; exact limitation; exactness; accuracy; strict conformity to a rule or a standard; definiteness. I have left out the utmost precisions of fractions.
Locke. Syn. -- Preciseness; exactness; accuracy; nicety. --
Precision ,
Preciseness .
Precision is always used in a good sense; as,
precision of thought or language;
precision in military evolutions.
Preciseness is sometimes applied to persons or their conduct in a disparaging sense, and
precise is often used in the same way.
Precisive Pre·ci"sive adjective Cutting off; (Logic) exactly limiting by cutting off all that is not absolutely relative to the purpose; as, precisive censure; precisive abstraction. I. Watts.
Preclude Pre·clude" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Precluded ;
present participle & verbal noun Precluding .] [ Latin
praecludere ,
praeclusum ;
prae before +
claudere to shut. See
Close ,
v. ]
1. To put a barrier before; hence, to shut out; to hinder; to stop; to impede. The valves preclude the blood from entering the veins.
E. Darwin. 2. To shut out by anticipative action; to prevent or hinder by necessary consequence or implication; to deter action of, access to, employment of, etc.; to render ineffectual; to obviate by anticipation. This much will obviate and preclude the objections.
Bentley.
Preclusion Pre·clu"sion noun [ Latin
praeclusio . See
Preclude .]
The act of precluding, or the state of being precluded; a shutting out.
Preclusive Pre·clu"sive adjective Shutting out; precluding, or tending to preclude; hindering. --
Pre*clu"sive*ly ,
adverb
Precoce Pre·coce" adjective [ French
précoce .]
Precocious. [ Obsolete]
Precoces Pre"co·ces noun plural [ New Latin ]
(Zoology) Same as Prćcoces .
Precocious Pre·co"cious adjective [ Latin
praecox ,
-ocis , and
praecoquus , from
praecoquere to cook or ripen beforehand;
prae before +
coquere to cook. See 3d
Cook , and confer
Apricot .]
1. Ripe or mature before the proper or natural time; early or prematurely ripe or developed; as, precocious trees. [ R.]
Sir T. Browne. 2. Developed more than is natural or usual at a given age; exceeding what is to be expected of one's years; too forward; -- used especially of mental forwardness; as, a precocious child; precocious talents.
Precociously Pre·co"cious·ly adverb In a precocious manner.
Precociousness, Precocity Pre·co"cious·ness, Pre·coc"i·ty noun [ Confer French
précocité .]
The quality or state of being precocious; untimely ripeness; premature development, especially of the mental powers; forwardness. Saucy precociousness in learning.
Bp. Mannyngham. That precocity which sometimes distinguishes uncommon genius.
Wirt.
Precoetanean Pre·co`e·ta"ne·an noun One contemporary with, but older than, another. [ Obsolete]
Fuller.
Precogitate Pre·cog"i·tate transitive verb [ Latin
praecogitatus , past participle of
praecogitare . See
Pre- , and
Cogitate .]
To cogitate beforehand. [ R.]
Sherwood.
Precogitation Pre·cog`i·ta"tion noun [ Latin
praecogitatio .]
Previous cogitation. [ R.]
Bailey.
Precognition Pre`cog·ni"tion noun [ Latin
praecognitio , from
praecognoscere to foreknow. See
Pre- , and
Cognition .]
1. Previous cognition. Fotherby. 2. (Scots Law) A preliminary examination of a criminal case with reference to a prosecution. Erskine.
Precognizable Pre·cog"ni·za·ble adjective Cognizable beforehand.
Precognosce Pre·cog"nosce transitive verb [ Latin
praecognoscere to foreknow.]
(Scots Law) To examine beforehand, as witnesses or evidence. A committee of nine precognoscing the chances.
Masson.
Precollection Pre`col·lec"tion noun A collection previously made. [ R.]
Precompose Pre`com·pose" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Precomposed ;
present participle & verbal noun Precomposing .]
To compose beforehand. Johnson.
Preconceit Pre`con·ceit" noun An opinion or notion formed beforehand; a preconception. Hooker.
Preconceive Pre`con·ceive" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Preconceived ;
present participle & verbal noun Preconceiving .]
To conceive, or form an opinion of, beforehand; to form a previous notion or idea of. In a dead plain the way seemeth the longer, because the eye hath preconceived it shorter than the truth.
Bacon.
Preconception Pre`con·cep"tion noun The act of preconceiving; conception or opinion previously formed.
Preconcert Pre`con·cert" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Preconcerted ;
present participle & verbal noun Preconcerting .]
To concert or arrange beforehand; to settle by previous agreement.
Preconcert Pre·con"cert noun Something concerted or arranged beforehand; a previous agreement.
Preconcerted Pre`con·cert"ed adjective Previously arranged; agreed upon beforehand. --
Pre`con*cert"ed*ly ,
adverb --
Pre`con*cert"ed*ness ,
noun
Preconcertion Pre`con·cer"tion noun The act of preconcerting; preconcert. Dr. T. Dwight.
Precondemn Pre`con·demn` transitive verb To condemn beforehand. --
Pre*con`dem*na"tion noun
Precondition Pre`con·di"tion noun A previous or antecedent condition; a preliminary condition.
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