English vocabulary · B2
Precipice
/ˈprɛs.ɪ.pɪs/ · n.
It means the edge of a steep cliff, or the moment just before a disaster. One more step and everything falls.
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Example sentences
- The country stood at the precipice of war.
- She stopped at the precipice of a huge mistake.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- prae — before (from Latin)
- caput — head (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- BRINK — edge before a fall (Right at the edge)
- EDGE — the outer limit (The boundary line)
- VERGE — just before change (About to happen)
Words with the same root
caput — head
- captain — the person at the head of a group
- precipitate — to cause something bad to happen suddenly
- precipitous — very steep or dangerously sudden
Lesson notes
Precipice. It means the edge of a steep cliff, or the moment just before a disaster. One more step and everything falls.
Similar words are brink, edge, and verge. Use precipice when the danger of falling is real and the next step could end everything.
The country stood at the precipice of war. She stopped herself at the precipice of a huge mistake.
From Latin. Prae- means before. Caput- means head. Head-first before a fall — that is a precipice.