Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.to throw or cast down headlong, to precipitate (class.; syn.. deicio, deturbo, proruo).

I. Act.

A. Lit.: “pilae in mare praecipitatae,” Nep. Alcib. 6 fin.: “truncas rupes in tecta domosque,” Stat. Th. 10, 881: currum scopulis, hurl or dash against, Ov. M. 15, 518: “pinus,” Stat. Achill. 2, 546.— Freq. with se or pass. in middle sense: “se e Leucade,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 41: “se a tecto,” Sen. Ep. 4, 4: “se de turri,” Liv. 23, 37: “sese in fossas,” Caes. B. C. 3, 69: “praecipitasse se quosdam constabat (sc. de muro),” threw themselves from the wall, Liv. 23, 19, 6; Hor. S. 2, 3, 277: “plerique semet ipsi praecipitaverunt,” Liv. 21, 14, 1: “se in Tiberim,” id. 4, 12, 11; Caes. B. G. 4, 15; Curt. 4, 16, 16; 6, 6, 32; “Auct. B. Alex. 18: ubi Nilus praecipitans se fragore auditum accolis aufert,” Plin. 6, 29, 35, § 118: “praecipitare volens etiam pulcherrima,” to throw overboard, Juv. 12, 38.—Mid.: “cum alii super vallum praecipitarentur,” threw themselves down, Sall. J. 58, 6; Ov. F. 4, 164; id. M. 7, 760; 11, 556: “lux Praecipitatur aquis,” sinks in the ocean, sets, id. ib. 4, 92; cf.: “hac te praecipitato,” run this way, for life! Ter. Ad. 4, 2, 36.—Absol.: si quando iis (parvis) ludentes minamur, praecipitaturos alicunde, extimescunt, that we will throw them down from any place (= nos eos dejecturos), Cic. Fin. 5, 11, 31.—

2. Transf., in gen., to bend a thing down: “vitem,” Cato, R. R. 32, 2: “partem (vitis),” Col. 4, 20, 4: “palmitem,” id. 5, 6, 33.—

B. Trop.

1. To throw, hurl, or cast down, to precipitate: praecipitari ex altissimo dignitatis gradu, Cic. Dom. 37, 98; cf.: “in tanta mala praeeipitatus ex patrio regno,” Sall. J. 14, 23.— Esp. with reflex. pron.: “semet ipse praecipitare,” to hasten to ruin, destroy one's self, Sall. J. 41, 9: “se in exitium,” Cels. 3, 21: “se in insidias,” Liv. 3, 18, 7 dub. (Madv. omits se): “furor iraque mentem Praecipitant,” carry away, urge onward, sway violently, Verg. A. 2, 317: “spem festinando praecipitare,” Ov. P. 3, 1, 140: “in senectam praecipitare,” to cause to grow old prematurely, Plin. 17, 12, 19, § 94: “quosdam praecipitat subjecta potentia magnae Invidiae,” Juv. 10, 56.—In pass., Cic. Rep. 2, 23, 43: nox praecipitata, declining, i. e. drawing to a close, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 47; cf.: aetas praecipitata (opp. adulescens), declining age, Mat. ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 28, 5.—

2. To hasten, hurry a thing (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “quae Praecipitent obitum,” hasten their setting, Cic. Arat. 349: “vindemiam,” Col. 3, 21, 10: “consulta viri,” Sil. 3, 166: “ne praecipitetur editio,” Quint. Ep. ad Tryph. 2: “consilia raptim praecipitata,” precipitate, Liv. 31, 32.—Poet.: “moras,” i. e. exchange delay for haste, Verg. A. 8, 443; 12, 699: “Tiphyn pelago parari praecipitat,” Val. Fl. 2, 390: “cursum,” Juv. 15, 78.—

3. With acc. and inf., to hasten, press, urge to do any thing (poet.): “dare tempus Praecipitant curae,” Verg. A. 11, 3: “si praecipitant miserum cognoscere curae,” Stat. Th. 1, 679. —

II. Neutr., to hasten or rush down, to throw one's self down, rush headlong, sink rapidly, to fall (class., but only of involuntary falling; cf. I. A.).

A. Lit.: “praecipitare istuc quidem est, non descendere,” Cic. N. D. 1, 32, 90: “de montibus altis ad terram,” Lucr. 4, 1021: “ubi Nilus praecipitat ex altissimis montibus,” Cic. Rep. 6, 18, 19; cf.: “Fibrenus ... statim praecipitat in Lirem,” id. Leg. 2, 3, 6: and: “in amni praecipitante,” id. de Or. 3, 48, 186: “nimbi In vada praecipitant,” Verg. A. 9, 670; 11, 617: “in fossam,” Liv. 25, 11, 6; 7, 6, 9; 38, 2, 14; “39, 2, 3: in insidias,” id. 2, 51; 5, 18; Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 82: “non fugis hinc praeceps, dum praecipitare potestas?” Verg. A. 4, 565: “sol praecipitans,” Cic. de Or. 3, 55, 209: “jam nox caelo Praecipitat,” is sinking, draws to a close, Verg. A. 2, 9: “hiems jam praecipitaverat,” had closed, come to an end, Caes. B. C. 3, 25.—

B. Trop.

1. To fall down, to fall, rush, or sink to ruin: “qui in amorem Praecipitavit, pejus perit quam si saxo saliat,” Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 31: “praecipitantes impellere, certe est inhumanum,” Cic. Rab. Post. 1, 2; so, “praecipitantem impellamus,” id. Clu. 26, 70: “ubi non subest, quo praecipitet ac decidat,” he may tumble down, id. Rep. 1, 45, 69: “praecipitante re publicā,” id. Sull. 1, 1; cf. id. ib. 31, 87; and: “cum ad Cannas praecipitasset Romana res,” Liv. 27, 40: “ad exitium praecipitans,” Cic. Att. 3, 15, 7.—

2. To be too hasty: “cum vitiosum sit adsentiri quicquam aut falsum aut incognitum, sustinenda est potius omnis adsensio, ne praecipitet, si temere processerit,” Cic. Ac. 2, 21, 68.—Hence, praecĭpĭ-tanter , adv., hastily, precipitately: “agens mannos ad villam,” Lucr. 3, 1063.