noun
precipice
PREH-sih-pihs
noun
1
A very steep cliff or drop.
"One wrong step and they would have fallen off the precipice."
2
The edge of a dangerous or critical situation, used figuratively.
"The company was standing on the precipice of bankruptcy."
How to Use Precipice
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sheer drop-off, either an actual cliff edge or a metaphor for being right on the brink of disaster.
Common pairings
on the edge of a precipice
teeter on the precipice
the precipice of war
Word Forms
precipices plural
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Etymology
From Latin praecipitium, \"a steep place,\" built from praeceps, \"headfirst\" — literally prae- (\"before\") plus caput (\"head\").