praeceps

Latin

Etymology

From prae (“before”) +‎ -ceps (“headed”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈprae̯.keps/, [ˈprae̯.kɛps]

Adjective

praeceps (genitive praecipitis); third declension

1. head first, headlong
2. steep, precipitous
3. (figuratively) hasty, rash, precipitate

Inflection

Third declension.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
nominative	praeceps			praecipitēs	praecipitia
genitive	praecipitis			praecipitium
dative	praecipitī			praecipitibus
accusative	praecipitem	praeceps		praecipitēs	praecipitia
ablative	praecipitī			praecipitibus
vocative	praeceps			praecipitēs	praecipitia

Derived terms

• praecipitō

Descendants

• English: precipitous
• Portuguese: precípite

Adverb

praeceps (not comparable)

1. headlong

Noun

praeceps n (genitive praecipitis); third declension

1. a precipice, steep place
2. extreme danger

Inflection

Third declension neuter.

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	praeceps	praecipita
genitive	praecipitis	praecipitum
dative	praecipitī	praecipitibus
accusative	praeceps	praecipita
ablative	praecipite	praecipitibus
vocative	praeceps	praecipita

Descendants

• English: precipice

References

• praeceps in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• praeceps in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “praeceps” in Félix Gaffiot’s Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette (1934)
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to fall down headlong: praecipitem ire; in praeceps deferri
    
  • to bring a man to ruin; to destroy: aliquem affligere, perdere, pessumdare, in praeceps dare
    
  • to be ruined, undone: praecipitem agi, ire
    
  • to be short-tempered; to be prone to anger: praecipitem in iram esse (Liv. 23. 7)
    
  • to be carried away by something: praecipitem ferri aliqua re (Verr. 5. 46. 121)
    
  • headlong flight: fuga effusa, praeceps (Liv. 30. 5)
    
  • to flee headlong: praecipitem se fugae mandare