Dictionary Definition

precipitation

1 the quantity of water falling to earth at a specific place within a specified period of time; "the storm brought several inches of precipitation"

2 the process of forming a chemical precipitate

3 the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist) [syn: downfall]

4 the act of casting down or falling headlong from a height

5 an unexpected acceleration or hastening; "he is responsible for the precipitation of his own demise"

6 overly eager speed (and possible carelessness); "he soon regretted his haste" [syn: haste, hastiness, hurry, hurriedness]

User Contributed Dictionary

A hurried headlong fall.
countable chemistry A reaction that leads to the formation of a heavier solid in a lighter liquid; the precipitate so formed at the bottom of the container.
(Weather) Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the 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.
Unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste.

had acted with some precipitation and had probably started out upon a wild-goose chase -- Dorothy Sayers

A hurried headlong fall

chemistry: chemical reaction forming solid in liquid

German: Präzipitation
Icelandic: felling (efnis úr lausn) , botnfelling (efnis úr lausn) , úrfelling (efnis úr lausn)
Japanese: 沈殿 (chinden)
Norwegian: utfelling and , presipitasjon
Spanish: precipitación
Swedish: utfällning

weather: water falling from the atmosphere

unwise or rash rapidity; sudden haste

Precipitation may refer to:

Precipitation (meteorology), rain, sleet, hail, snow and other forms of water falling from the sky
Precipitation (chemistry), the condensation of a solid from a solution during a chemical reaction
Precipitation (horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse

Acid precipitation, a type of precipitation characterized by high acidity.
Ammonium sulfate precipitation, a method of purifying proteins
Ethanol precipitation, a method of concentrating DNA
Precipitation strengthening, a method used to strengthen malleable materials
Protein precipitation, a method of separating contaminants from biological products.
Basic precipitation, a type of precipitation characterized by high alkilinity.