| precipice | 1. A sudden or headlong fall. 2. A headlong steep; a very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging place; an abrupt declivity; a cliff. "Where wealth like fruit on precipices grew." (Dryden) Origin: F. Precipice, L. Praecipitium, fr. Praeceps, -cipitis, headlong; prae = before + caput, capitis, the head. See Pre-, and Chief. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| precipitable | Capable of being precipitated, or cast to the bottom, as a substance in solution. <chemistry> See Precipitate, Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| precipitant | <chemistry> Any force or reagent which causes the formation of a precipitate. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| precipitate | <chemistry> To cause a solid to settle out of a solution. The solid that settles out of a solution. To be deposited out of a solution. (09 Oct 1997) |
| precipitate labour | Very rapid labour ending in delivery of the foetus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| precipitated calcium carbonate | CaCO3;used as an antacid in the management of peptic ulcers and other conditions of gastric hyperacidity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| precipitated sulfur | Sublimed sulfur boiled with lime water, the lime being removed from the precipitate by washing with diluted hydrochloric acid; used in preparing sulfur ointment and in the treatment of various skin disorders. Synonym: lac sulfuris, milk of sulfur. (05 Mar 2000) |
| precipitating antibody | <protein> Any antibody that forms a precipitating complex (a precipitin line) with an appropriate multivalent antigen. The term is now outmoded. (18 Nov 1997) |
| precipitating cause | A factor that brings on the onset of manifestations of a disease process. (05 Mar 2000) |
| precipitating factors | Factors associated with the definitive onset of a disease, illness, accident, behavioural response, or course of action. Usually one factor is more important or more obviously recognizable than others, if several are involved, and one may often be regarded as "necessary". Examples include exposure to specific disease; amount or level of an infectious organism, drug, or noxious agent, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| precipitation | The act or process of precipitating. Origin: L. Praecipitatio (18 Nov 1997) |
| precipitation curve | A graph of the quantity of precipitate formed as a function of the quantity of antigen added during the titration of an antibody with an antigen. Synonym: Heidelberger curve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| precipitation test | An in vitro test in which antigen is in soluble form and precipitates when it combines with added specific antibody in the presence of an electrolyte. See: gel diffusion precipitin tests, ring precipitin test. Synonym: precipitation test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| precipitin | <protein> Any antibody that forms a precipitating complex (a precipitin line) with an appropriate multivalent antigen. The term is now outmoded. (18 Nov 1997) |
| precipitin reaction | See: precipitin, precipitin test. (05 Mar 2000) |