precipice

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 521 words | Copyright

precipice † headlong fall XVI; vertical steep face of rock, etc. XVII. — F. précipice or L. præcipitium, f. præceps, præcip- headlong, steep, or præcipitāre, f. præ- PRE- + caput, capit- head.
Hence precipitate sb. (chem.) XVI; adj. headlong, headforemost XVII; vb. throw headlong XVI; deposit in solid form from a solution XVII; precipitation XVII (— F. or L.). So precipitous precipitate XVII; of the nature of a precipice. — F. † précipiteux.

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T. F. HOAD. "precipice." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "precipice." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-precipice.html

T. F. HOAD. "precipice." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-precipice.html

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