| 释义 |
precipitancy|prɪˈsɪpɪtənsɪ|
[f. precipitant a.: see -ancy.]
The quality of being precipitant.
1. The quality of a headlong descent or fall, or of a very rapid onward movement; headlong speed, violent hurry; excessive suddenness or abruptness of action or occurrence.
1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 231 Respecting rather the acutenesse of the disease, and precipitancy of occasion, then the rising or setting of Stars. 1797Mrs. Radcliffe Italian vii, Whence Vivaldi himself had returned with such unexpected precipitancy and consternation. 1803J. Porter Thaddeus xxxiv, Thaddeus..with delighted precipitancy caught hold of the hand. 1868E. Edwards Ralegh I. xxv. 614 Several conspicuous men died under his treatment, with unusual precipitancy. 1879Cassell's Techn. Educ. ix. 143 He was obliged to fly with the utmost precipitancy.
2. Excessive or unwise haste in action; great want of deliberation; hastiness, rashness.
a1619M. Fotherby Atheom. i. xiii. §2 (1622) 136 Note the strange precipitancie of their tongue. 1685Gracian's Courtiers Orac. 48 Precipitancy is the passion of fools, who not being able to discover the danger, act at hap-hazard. 1761Hume Hist. Eng. III. l. 92 Some degree of precipitancy and indiscretion. 1865Trollope Belton Est. vi, He..had gone about his task with inconsiderate precipitancy.
b. An instance of this; in pl., hasty or rash acts.
1665Glanvill Scepsis Sci. vii. 34 'Tis not likely, that one of a thousand such præcipitancies should be crowned with so unexpected an issue. a1834Coleridge Shaks. Notes (1849) 63 Youth with its follies, its virtues, its precipitancies. |
