| 释义 |
precipitant, a. and n.|prɪˈsɪpɪtənt|
[ad. L. præcipitānt-em, pr. pple. of præcipitāre to precipitate: cf. F. précipitant (15th c. in Godef.).]
A. adj. (Now rare: usually replaced by precipitate a.)
1. Falling headlong; descending vertically or steeply; headlong, directed straight downwards; falling to the bottom as a precipitate or sediment.
a1620[implied in precipitantly 1]. 1667Milton P.L. iii. 563 He..without longer pause Down right into the Worlds first Region throws His flight precipitant. 1708J. Philips Cyder ii. 68 Take care Thy muddy Bev'rage to serene, and drive Præcipitant the baser, ropy Lees. 1735Somerville Chase iii. 335 He [a horse]..plunging, from his Back the Rider hurls Precipitant.
2. Rushing headlong; hastening along at great speed; moving hurriedly or very swiftly onwards.
1671Grew Anat. Plants vii. §25 Lest its Current should be too copious or precipitant. 1725Pope Odyss. i. 213 That troop so blithe and bold,..Precipitant in fear, wou'd wing their flight. 1830W. Phillips Mt. Sinai ii. 268 Walk'd he still erect,..quick-motion'd from the first, But not precipitant.
3. Acting or taking place with great hurry, rapidity, or suddenness; involving very rapid action; very sudden or unexpected, abrupt.
1641Chas. I in Rushw. Hist. Coll. iii. (1692) I. 403 It was hard at first either to discern the Rise, or apply a Remedy to that precipitant Rebellion. 1684tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. xiv. 501 If we shall hesitate in a great and precipitant Disease, we run great dangers. 1710Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) VI. 625 The hasty reinforcements they are sending to Spain,..with other precipitant measures they have taken. 1803tr. P. Le Brun's Mons. Botte III. 67 The precipitant departure of his uncle,..his last expressions.
4. Acting, or wont to act, with undue or unwise haste, or without any deliberation; excessively hurried; hasty, rash, headstrong. (Of persons, or their acts, etc.)
1608T. Morton Preamb. Encounter 31 Thou hast beene rash and precipitant. 1663Bp. Patrick Parab. Pilgr. ix. (1668) 40 They were..hurried by their blind and precipitant passion. 1742Richardson Pamela IV. 222 She..is generous—noble—but has strong Passions, and is thoughtless and precipitant. 1896in Westm. Gaz. 21 Oct. 10/2 He wants reform, but it must be gradual, not precipitant.
B. n. Chem. A substance that causes precipitation; a chemical agent which, on being added to a solution, precipitates the dissolved substance. Sometimes const. of (the substance precipitated). Correlative to precipitate n.
1684–5Boyle Min. Waters 59 A copious Precipitate, such as might have been expected from an Alkaline Precipitant. 1756C. Lucas Ess. Waters I. 112 The most complete precipitant of copper known, is iron. 1815J. Smith Panorama Sc. & Art II. 301 The body added to the solution, in order to obtain it, is called the precipitant. 1842Parnell Chem. Anal. (1845) 32 Hydrochloric acid and chloride of sodium, the ordinary precipitants of silver, also produce a precipitate with solutions of lead.
b. fig. (Cf. precipitate n. d, v. 5 c.)
1905Contemp. Rev. Oct. 503 Such impressions..seem to be little more than irritants or precipitants of consciousness. |
