Praecipitare

Praecipitare is a Latin verb meaning to throw down headlong, to plunge, or to fall rapidly. It belongs to the first conjugation and occurs in forms such as praecipitō (present active indicative), praecipitāre (present active infinitive), praecipitāvī (perfect), and praecipitātum (supine or participial form). The basic sense covers a physical motion of hurling downward, or of something descending quickly.

Etymology and related forms: the word is built from prae- “before, forth” and citāre “to set in motion” or a related root meaning “to move.” The noun praecipitium denotes a precipice or sheer drop, linking the verb to the idea of a steep descent. In study of Latin, praecipitāre also yields participles such as praecipitātus and adjectives built from the same root.

usages and senses: literaly, praecipitare describes throwing or falling headlong, or something that plunges downward. figuratively, it can mean to hasten or bring about something abruptly—“to precipitate events.” in scientific contexts, especially chemistry and geology, the term is used to describe causing a solid to separate from a solution or to form a solid phase, yielding a precipitate. English inherits related terms from this lineage, with precipitate and precipitation deriving from Latin forms through later languages.

In sum, praecipitare denotes a rapid downward motion in physical terms, a rapid or abrupt bringing about of events in figurative use, and a technical sense in the sciences related to forming a solid from a solution.