Lewis & Short

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praecĭpĭto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. and n. [praeceps], to throw or cast down headlong, to precipitate (class.; syn.. deicio, deturbo, proruo).

  1. I. Act.
    1. 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.
      1. 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.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 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. 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. 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.
  2. 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.).
    1. 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.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 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. 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.