Precipitous
41Precipitousness — Precipitous Pre*cip i*tous, a. [L. praeceps, cipitis: cf. OF. precipiteux. See {Precipice}.] 1. Steep, like a precipice; as, a precipitous cliff or mountain. [1913 Webster] 2. Headlong; as, precipitous fall. [1913 Webster] 3. Hasty; rash; quick;… …
42precipitously — precipitous UK US /prɪˈsɪpɪtəs/ adjective ► if a reduction is precipitous, it happens very suddenly and is very big: a precipitous decline/drop/fall »The company has seen a precipitous decline in advertising revenue. ► done too quickly without… …
43precipitously — precipitous ► ADJECTIVE 1) dangerously high or steep. 2) (of a change in a condition or situation) sudden and dramatic. 3) hasty; precipitate. DERIVATIVES precipitously adverb …
44abrupt — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. sudden, precipitate, short, curt; steep, precipitous, sheer; sudden or sharp (turn, etc.); jerky. See instantaneity.Ant., gradual. II (Roget s IV) modif. 1. [ Said of things, usually landscape ] Syn …
45precipitant — , precipitate, precipitous All three come from the same root, the Latin praecipitare ( to throw headlong ). Precipitous means very steep: cliff faces are precipitous. Precipitant and precipitate both indicate a headlong rush and are almost… …
46precipitate — precipitate, precipitous 1. The two words overlap in meaning and were used interchangeably from the 17c to the 19c. Precipitous has a physical meaning ‘sheer like a precipice’: • There was a precipitous wooden stair to the ground floor A. Craig,… …
47steep — I. adjective Etymology: Middle English stepe, from Old English stēap high, steep, deep; akin to Old Frisian stāp steep, Middle High German stief more at stoop Date: before 12th century 1. lofty, high used chiefly of a sea 2. making a large angle… …
48sheer — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. utter, absolute; mere, simple; thin, diaphanous; perpendicular, precipitous, vertical, steep. See transparency, simpleness. II (Roget s IV) modif. 1. [Abrupt] Syn. steep, very steep, precipitous;… …
49steep — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. t. soak, saturate, macerate. See water. adj. precipitous, abrupt, sheer, declivitous; vertical; informal, expensive (see dearness). II (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. abrupt, precipitous, sheer,… …
50steep — adj Steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular. The words are here arranged in ascending order of degree of perpendicularity. Steep implies so sharp a slope or pitch that ascent or descent is difficult… …
