From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprecipitatepre‧cip‧i‧tate1 /prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/ verb 1 [transitive] formalCAUSE to make something serious happen suddenly or more quickly than was expected SYN hasten The riot was precipitated when four black men were arrested.► see thesaurus at cause2 [intransitive, transitive + out] technicalHC to separate a solid substance from a liquid by chemical action, or to be separated in this way → precipitate somebody into something→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
precipitate• Both countries claimed the same area, precipitating a border war.• For this reason, an increase in population density often precipitates a round of emigration.• An attack on the country could precipitate a world war.• Butsy was sixteen and aware that the trip had been precipitated by a crisis.• What world historical events were precipitated by incidents that occurred then?• Tetany may be triggered by hyperventilation or precipitated by vomiting or by pregnancy and lactation.• Thus differences in 18 O/ 16 O ratio may be expected between water and calcite precipitating from it.• The 1929 stock market crash precipitated the collapse of the American banking system.• Ironically, in view of what had happened fifty years earlier, it was now the School's success which precipitated the next crisis.• Some 592 people had been injured in the police attack on student demonstrators, which precipitated the November revolution.precipitatepre‧cip‧i‧tate2 /prəˈsɪpətət/ noun [countable] technicalHC a solid substance that has been chemically separated from a liquidExamples from the Corpus
precipitate• I producing fixed capital, there would be a precipitate decline in those sectors.• Sedimentary rocks show stratification and form by settling of erosional debris and chemical precipitates.• This inhibition is caused by the formation of insoluble precipitates of calcium, phosphate, and bile acid micelles.• When the solution becomes turbid the mixture is warmed until the precipitate dissolves.precipitateprecipitate3 adjective formal HURRYhappening or done too quickly, and not thought about carefully SYN hasty a precipitate decision —precipitately adverbExamples from the Corpus
precipitate• I have much sympathy with those who warn against precipitate novelty in the food industry.Origin precipitate1 (1500-1600) Latin past participle of praecipitare, from praeceps; → PRECIPICE 