precipitous (a)

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to give me your considered opinion concerning the interpretation of the adjective in bold in the following sentences?

I gaze with deeper interest upon that precipitous escarpment, the "Lover's Leap," whose rocky wall has oft echoed back thejoyous chaunt of the light-hearted voyageur, and once a sadder strain--the death-song of Wanona--beautiful Wanona, who sacrificed life to love! We were coming up to a twist in the precipitous road; as we swung round it, the wheels screamed and we seemed to swerve towards the edge of the precipice.

precipitous = steep, like a precipice; as, a precipitous cliff or mountain

Our mission is to build awareness of ocean health issues throughout the Americas so that citizens understand the precipitous changes that are occurring at the poles and along our coasts and what they can do to mitigate these changes.

precipitous changes = unsteady changes

This delirium, combined with the low oxygen desaturation on the monitor, often leads to precipitous attempts at intubation without adequate preoxygenation.

precipitous = headlong; hasty; rash; quick; sudden

V.