precipice

CEFRC1

/ˈpɹɛsɪpɪs/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A very steep or almost vertical cliff.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A headlong fall or descent.

Examples

  • Another step, and you will fall down the precipice.

  • The climber stayed alert while climbing the precipice.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2
Synonyms
2

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The brink of a dangerous situation.

  2. A very steep cliff.

More examples

In context

  • to stand on a precipice

  • In emailed comments supporting the new initiative, the laureate professor Noam Chomsky said: “Humans are marching towards a precipice. When we reach it, unthinkable catastrophe is inevitable. […]”

  • I resolved to remove my tent from the place where it stood, which was just under the hanging precipice of the hill; and which, if it should be shaken again, would certainly fall upon my tent[…]

Synonyms

Quick test

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Question 1 · Quick check

He stood at the edge of the blank, looking down at the deep valley below.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

First attested in 1598, from Middle French precipice, from Latin praecipitium (“a steep place”), from praeceps (“steep”), from prae + caput (“head”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“head”). Distantly related to precept through Latin praecipiō (“to teach”), from prae + capiō (“take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-, *keh₂p- (“to hold; to seize”).