mercurial
UK /məːˈkjʊə.ɹɪ.əl/ · US /mɝˈkjʊ.ɹi.əl/ noun, adjective
Forms mercurials mercuriall
- noun (obsolete) Any of the plants known as mercury, especially the annual mercury or French mercury (Mercurialis annua).
- noun (astrology) A person born under the influence of the planet Mercury; hence, a person having an eloquent, quickwitted, furtive, or volatile character.
- noun (chemistry) A chemical compound containing mercury.
- noun (pharmacology, historical) A preparation of mercury, especially as a treatment for syphilis.
- adjective (comparable) Having a lively or volatile character; animated, changeable, quick-witted. “his mercurial temperament”
- adjective (not comparable, astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mercury; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see adjective sense 1).
- adjective (not comparable, astronomy) Pertaining to the planet Mercury.
- adjective (not comparable, chemistry) Of or pertaining to the element mercury or quicksilver; containing mercury.
- adjective (not comparable, medicine) Caused by the action of mercury or a mercury compound.
- adjective (not comparable, Roman mythology) Pertaining to Mercury, the Roman god of, among other things, commerce, financial gain, communication, and thieves and trickery; hence (comparable), money-making; crafty.
Synonyms
Etymology
Noun sense 1 (“(obsolete) plant known as mercury”) is from Middle English mercurial (“a plant, probably the goosefoot (Chenopodium); (possibly) dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis)”), from Anglo-Norman mercurial, Old French mercurial, or directly from their etymon Latin mercuriālis (“a plant, probably annual mercury (Mercurialis annua)”), short for herba mercuriālis (“(probably) annual mercury”, literally “herb or plant of the god Mercury”). Mercuriālis (“pertaining to the Roman god Mercury”, adjective) is derived from Mercurius (“the Roman god Mercury”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns).
Later adjective and noun uses may have been directly derived from Latin mercuriālis (adjective), whence Middle English mercurial (“under the astrological influence of the planet Mercury”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Having the qualities fabled to belong to the god Mercury; swift; active; sprightly; fickle; volatile; changeable; as, a mercurial youth; a mercurial temperament.
- adjective Having the form or image of Mercury; --applied to ancient guideposts. [Obs.] Chillingworth.
- noun A person having mercurial qualities. Bacon.
- noun A preparation containing mercury.
Etymology [L. mercurialis, fr. Mercurius Mercury: cf. F. mercuriel.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “mercurial”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details