Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- In a precipitate manner; with sudden descent; headlong; hastily; without due deliberation; with a sudden subsiding motion.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adverb In a precipitate manner; headlong; hastily; rashly.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adverb In a
precipitate manner.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adverb at breakneck speed
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The Earl, invigorated with hope and joy, had by the force of his arm, almost wrenched from its fastening, one of the iron bars of the grate; his foot was lifted to the stanchion, ready to aid him in escaping through the opening, when he was seized by the guards of the Baron, and conveyed precipitately from the prison.
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Austrian minister, is recalled precipitately, with orders not to take leave. our papers joined Pucci (796) with him in this recall, but I do not find with any foundation.
The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 2 Horace Walpole 1757
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Madeline was never in evidence, having precipitately fled to the inner room.
The Wife of a King 2010
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The dog-musher let go of him precipitately, with action similar to that of a man who has picked up live fire.
The Love-Master 2010
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The Jouberts have been instrumental in establishing the Big Cats Initiative with National Geographic, designed as an emergency action fund to drive attention to the big cats and develop real solutions to stop the decline that has seen lion numbers precipitately drop in the past 50 years.
Jay Weston: Thrilling Docudrama The Last Lions Opens in LA Jay Weston 2011
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He was always keyed up, alert for attack, wary of being attacked, with an eye for sudden and unexpected missiles, prepared to act precipitately and coolly, to leap in with a flash of teeth, or to leap away with a menacing snarl.
The Outcast 2010
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The king's sons precipitately kick feet; Donalbain never returns to a stage, we notice
Philadelphia Reflections: Shakspere Society of Philadelphia admin 2009
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Then he whirled about to prevent attack from behind, and all those in that quarter fled precipitately.
In Yeddo Bay 2010
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The king's sons precipitately kick feet; Donalbain never returns to a stage, we notice
Archive 2009-11-01 admin 2009
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Madeline was never in evidence, having precipitately fled to the inner room.
The Wife of a King 2010
pikachu commented on the word precipitately
He talked precipitately, and I did not try to stop him. --Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)
March 9, 2011