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precipitate

precipitate

1 8.1
A solid that forms and settles out of a liquid
  • noun
  • /prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : precipitado
  • A reaction using nitric acid and potassium iodide reagent produces a canary yellow precipitate, a positive indicator for lead.
  • formation of a precipitate

Examples

  • The acid caused the black precipitate to form in a solution of gold in Aqua regia, right?

  • Whenever dissolved iron and dissolved oxygen get together, they combine to form a nearly insoluble precipitate, which drops out of solution.

  • If a precipitate forms, start over because the results will be inferior.

    Academic text (1996)
  • And you'll see the immediate appearance of a dark black precipitate of lead sulphide.

  • Despite the difficulty in keeping the drinking water free of precipitates, this is a very worthwhile demonstration.

    Academic text (1996)
  • A reaction using nitric acid and potassium iodide reagent produces a canary yellow precipitate, a positive indicator for lead.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The yellow color is caused by an iron precipitate that coats the stream bottom.

Synonyms

precip
vsprecipitate
  • Jargon
8.6

A solid that forms and comes out of a liquid during a chemical reaction

is the full standard term rather than its short colloquial form

Surface Forms

precipitate singular
precipitates plural

Etymology

Precipitate is the solid that has 'fallen out' of a liquid, and the name comes from Latin prae- 'before' and caput 'head', which suggest a 'headfirst' fall. So a chemical precipitate is literally the material that has 'fallen' to the bottom.