mercury /mûrˈkū-ri/ noun- A silvery metallic element (symbol Hg; atomic no 80), liquid at ordinary temperatures (also called quicksilver)
- The column of mercury in a thermometer or barometer
- A plant (dog's-merˈcury Mercurialis perennis) of the spurge family
- The plant good-King-Henry
- A preparation of mercury
- A messenger
- A common title for newspapers
- Mercurial character (obsolete)
- (with cap) the Roman god of merchandise, theft, and eloquence, messenger of the gods, identified with the Greek Hermes
- (with cap) the planet nearest the sun
ORIGIN: L Mercūrius, prob from merx, mercis merchandise merˈcurate transitive verb - To mercurialize or treat with mercury
- To convert into a compound with mercury
mercurāˈtion noun mercūˈrial adjective - Containing mercury
- Of or like mercury
- Caused by mercury
- (with cap) of or relating to Mercury the god or the planet
- (sometimes with cap) having the qualities attributed to persons born under the planet, eloquent, etc
- Active, sprightly, often changing
noun- A drug containing mercury
- The plant mercury (obsolete)
- (sometimes with cap) a person born under the planet (obsolete)
mercūˈrialism noun A morbid condition due to mercury mercūˈrialist noun (obsolete) - A believer in the medical use of mercury
- A mercurial person
mercūˈrialize or mercūˈrialise transitive verb - To treat with mercury or a drug containing mercury (medicine)
- To make mercurial
mercūˈrially adverb mercūˈrialness or mercūrialˈity noun mercūˈric adjective Containing bivalent mercury merˈcurize or merˈcurise transitive verb same as mercurate above merˈcurous adjective Containing univalent mercury mercuric chloride noun A soluble toxic substance (HgCl2), used as a pesticide mercury switch or mercury tilt switch noun A quiet electric switch activated by the movement of mercury in a phial over the contacts mercury vapour light or mercury vapour lamp noun A bright greenish-blue light, high in ultraviolet rays, produced by an electric discharge through mercury vapour |