Dictionary

precipitation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pɹɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn̩/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle French précipitation, from Latin praecipitātiō, praecipitātiōnem. By surface analysis, precipitate + -ion.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the upper atmosphere (e.g., rain, hail, snow or sleet). It is a major class of hydrometeor, but it is distinguished from cloud, fog, dew, rime, frost, etc., in that it must fall. It is distinguished from cloud and virga in that it must reach the ground.
   • Some rain was expected to fall in Pennsylvania and South Jersey on Thursday, but no precipitation made it to the rest of New Jersey, New York City and most of New England -- all regions in desperate need of moisture following an extremely dry fall. 2024 November 15, Julia Jacobo, “Updated drought map shows worsening conditions in Northeast as fire danger persists”, in ABC News, archived from the original on 27 Nov 2024:
   • South Korea’s Ministry of Environment said in a news release that no major precipitation was observed after the cloud seeding operation. 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
2. (countable, uncountable) The amount of water precipitated in any form.
3. (countable, uncountable) A hurried headlong fall.
4. (countable, uncountable) A reaction that leads to the formation of a heavier, and often less soluble, solid in a lighter liquid; the precipitate so formed at the bottom of the container.
   • This type of bio-inspired material utilizes microbial calcite precipitation to heal cracks that develop autonomously, thereby enhancing the material’s durability and reducing maintenance costs. 2024 October 10, Tiana Milović et al., “Enhancing Compressive Strength of Cement by Indigenous Individual and Co-Culture Bacillus Bacteria”, in Materials, volume 17, number 20, →DOI, archived from the original on 24 Feb 2025:
5. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste.
   • […] had acted with some precipitation and had probably started out upon a wild-goose chase. 1933, Dorothy L. Sayers, Murder Must Advertise:
   • Immediately on returning home, highly satisfied with the result of his visit to Mrs. Belmour, Melliphant found on his table a letter from Sir Howard, over which he cast his eyes with precipitation. 1838, [Letitia Elizabeth] Landon (indicated as editor), chapter V, in Duty and Inclination: […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 49:
   • The young man thanked me, and took his leave with some little precipitation, after declining a glass of liquor. 1859 December 13, Charles Dickens, “The Mortals in the House”, in Charles Dickens, editor, The Haunted House. The Extra Christmas Number of All the Year Round […], volume II, London: […] C[harles] Whiting, […], →OCLC, page 6, column 1:

Forms

Deriveds

co-precipitation · immunoprecipitation · precipitation hardening · microprecipitation · aptoprecipitation · acid precipitation · coprecipitation · paleoprecipitation · reprecipitation · aptaprecipitation · cryoprecipitation · precipitationless · superprecipitation · postprecipitation · precipitation reaction · thermoprecipitation · bioprecipitation · precip · nonprecipitation · palaeoprecipitation · photoprecipitation · nanoprecipitation

Relateds

rashness · haste

Translations (112)

ar هُطُول (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · sh па̏далине (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · he משקעים (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · is það að æða áfram (hurried headlong fall) · is botnfelling (efnis úr lausn) (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · tl kadanligan (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · de Niederschlag (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · tr acele (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · ar عجلة (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · cy gwaddodiad (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · tr yağıntı (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · mn хур тунадас (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · tr yağış (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ru атмосферные осадки (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · pl opad atmosferyczny (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · no presipitasjon (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · af presipitasie (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · bg утаяване (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · ltg drystuošona (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · is það að flæða áfram (hurried headlong fall) · hu kicsapódás (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · fi sadanta (meteorology: the amount precipitated) · bg стремителност (hurried headlong fall) · ja 降水 (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · vi sự kết tủa (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · fi saostuminen (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · fi kiire (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · pt precipitação (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · cs srážky (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · nl neerslag (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ko 강수 (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · fi sade (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · no utfelling (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · cy dyddodiad (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · it precipitazione (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ltg nūsiesšona (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · tl sahimuo (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · fr précipitation (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · no presipitasjon (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · lo ນ້ຳຝົນ (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · es precipitación (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · is það að steypast áfram (hurried headlong fall) · ru осажде́ние (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · fr précipitation (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · nn nedbør (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · fr précipitation (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · ja 降水量 (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · he שיקוע (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · ar تَرَسُّب (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · is úrkoma (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · is bráðræði (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · be апа́дкі (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ru оса́дки (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · mi tōtāwairehu (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · af neerslag (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · sh pȁdavine (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · fa نزولات (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · sh па̏давине (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ru оса́док (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · is flýtir (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · pt precipitação (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ka ნალექი (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ms pemendakan (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · da nedbør (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · cmn 沉澱 /沉淀 (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · mn тунадас (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · tr çökelme (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · cmn 降水 (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ba яуым-төшөм (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ga comhdhlúthú (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · es precipitación (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · vi giáng thủy (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · rsk паданя (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ltg krytuli (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · sh pȁdaline (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ru выпаде́ние в оса́док (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · ja 沈殿 (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · mk вр́нежи (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · pt precipitação (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · alt јаашкын (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · hu sietség (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · hu csapadék (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · af presipitasie (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · is úrfelling (efnis úr lausn) (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · vi sự kết tủa (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · ltg skuba (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · sv nederbörd (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · uk оса́дка (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · is óðagot (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · mn ᠲᠤᠨᠤᠳᠠᠰᠤ (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ar تَسَاقُط (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · fa بارندگی (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ro precipitație (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ca precipitació (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · bg валеж (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · sv utfällning (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · fo avfall (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · th หยาดน้ำฟ้า (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · bg прибързаност (unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste) · no nedbør (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · haw kimu (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ko 강수량 (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · cs srážení (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · az yağıntı (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · is felling (efnis úr lausn) (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · de Präzipitation (chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid) · fi päistikkaa syöksyminen (hurried headlong fall) · el υετός (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · ms kerpasan (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · cmn 降水量 (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · mn ᠬᠤᠷ᠎ᠠ ᠲᠤᠨᠤᠳᠠᠰᠤ (weather: water falling from the atmosphere) · fi sademäärä (meteorology: the amount precipitated)