(v. a.adv.) : praecĭpĭto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. and n. praeceps
* To throw or cast down headlong, to precipitate (class.; syn.. deicio, deturbo, proruo).
* Act.
* 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.
* 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.).
* Trop.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* Trop.
* 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.
* 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.

s. TLL