precipitant

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​cip·​i·​tant pri-ˈsi-pə-tənt How to pronounce precipitant (audio)
precipitantly adverb
precipitantness noun

precipitant

2 of 2

noun

: a precipitating agent
especially : one that causes the formation of a precipitate

Examples of precipitant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
With purging, this process is accelerated and there is usually a precipitant such as a new product or treatment. Twiggy Jalloh, Vogue, 30 June 2024 Shubhangi Dua 18 days ago 0 Science Eggshell can help recover rare earth elements, make process sustainable The study shows that at higher temperatures, eggshell calcite also has the potential to be used as a precipitant. Interesting Engineering, 23 June 2024 In an essay in the Times, Clare Frank, a former chief of fire protection in California, cites pyrotechnics at a gender-reveal party, the smoking out of wasp nests, and campers who decided to burn their excrement as precipitants of recent wildfires. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 25 June 2023 For young adults, loneliness and social isolation are major precipitants of suicide, experts say. New York Times, 25 June 2018 According to the most recent CDC report, loss of children and relationships is a leading precipitant to suicide. April Foreman, Fortune, 21 June 2018 The narrator, a reporter, and two of his newspaper colleagues share their research on suicide: social and psychological precipitants; variations in incidence by season and country; philosophical and religious arguments for and against; and so on. Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1608, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1685, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of precipitant was in 1608

Dictionary Entries Near precipitant

Cite this Entry

“Precipitant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipitant. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

precipitant

noun
pre·​cip·​i·​tant pri-ˈsip-ət-ənt How to pronounce precipitant (audio)
: something that precipitates
especially : a chemical agent that causes the formation of a precipitate

More from Merriam-Webster on precipitant

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!