mercurial
English
/məːˈkjʊə.ɹɪ.əl/, /mɝˈkjʊ.ɹi.əl/
noun
Definitions
- (obsolete) Any of the plants known as mercury, especially the annual mercury or (Mercurialis annua).
- (astrology) A person born under the influence of the planet Mercury; hence, a person having an animated, lively, quick-witted or volatile character.
- (chemistry) A chemical compound containing mercury.
- (pharmacology) A preparation of mercury, especially as a treatment for syphilis.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English mercurial derived from mercurial derived from Old French mercurial derived from Latin mercuriālis (a plant, probably annual mercury), mercuriālis (a plant, probably annual mercury).
Origin
Latin
mercuriālis
Gloss
a plant, probably annual mercury
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- mercurialism English
- mercurialist English
- mercuriality English
- mercurialization English
- mercurialize English
- mercurially English
- mercurialness English
- micromercurialism English
- nonmercurial English
- organomercurial English
- phenyl English
- phenylmercurial English
- unmercurial English
- mercuriālis Latin
- mercurial Middle English
- mercurial Old French
- mercurial xno