What does precipice mean?
Word: Precipice
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Precipice means a very steep rock face or mountainside with a long drop below; also a point of great danger.
Synonyms: crag, brink
Word origin: From Latin praeceps, headlong, as in falling head first.
How do you spell precipice?
Syllables: prec - i - pice
Tricky part: Both s sounds are written with c, so presipice and precipise are wrong.
Watch out for: presipice, precipise, presipise
Memory tip: Picture two curved cliff edges, one for each c: preCipiCe. Every s sound in the word is a c.
Precipice in a sentence
Example 1: The mountain path ran right along the edge of a precipice.
Example 2: The shepherd warned us never to sit near the precipice when the rocks were wet.
Example 3: The company stood on the precipice of ruin until a new owner bought it.
Fun Fact
Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, in Norway is a famous precipice: its flat top stands about 600 metres above the fjord below.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
From the top of the old fort we could see a steep precipace falling away to the green paddy fields far below.
a) paddy
b) fields
c) precipace
d) fort
Show answer
c) precipace. The middle vowels are both i, as in prec-i-pice; an a has crept into the last syllable.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence and choose the word they make:
Mountain goats can stand on a narrow ledge of a ccipeiper without slipping.
a) recipe
b) precinct
c) precipice
d) prejudice
Show answer
c) precipice. Goats on a ledge above a long drop point to precipice, and it is the only choice with two p's to match the jumble.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word precipice as used in the sentence:
The path ran a few metres from the precipice, and the river was a thin line far below.
a) plateau
b) cliff
c) valley
d) meadow
Show answer
b) cliff. A steep drop to the river is a cliff; a valley, meadow or plateau is low or flat.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. canyun 2. precipice 3. ravene 4. glaceir
a) a sheer rock face above a long drop
b) a deep, narrow valley with steep sides
c) a slow-moving river of ice
d) a very deep gorge cut by a river
Show answer
a) a sheer rock face above a long drop. Ravine ends in ine, canyon in on and glacier in ier, so precipice is the only correct spelling.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A country 'on the edge of a precipice' is ____.
a) high in the hills
b) very peaceful
c) growing quickly
d) close to disaster
Show answer
d) close to disaster
2. A sign near a precipice would most likely warn visitors to ____.
a) keep away from the edge
b) speak quietly here
c) buy a ticket first
d) switch off their phones
Show answer
a) keep away from the edge
