quicksilver

quicksilver
Mercury Mer"cu*ry, n. [L. Mercurius; akin to merx wares.] 1. (Rom. Myth.) A Latin god of commerce and gain; -- treated by the poets as identical with the Greek Hermes, messenger of the gods, conductor of souls to the lower world, and god of eloquence. [1913 Webster]

2. (Chem.) A metallic element mostly obtained by reduction from cinnabar, one of its ores. It is a heavy, opaque, glistening liquid (commonly called {quicksilver}), and is used in barometers, thermometers, etc. Specific gravity 13.6. Symbol Hg (Hydrargyrum). Atomic weight 199.8. Mercury has a molecule which consists of only one atom. It was named by the alchemists after the god Mercury, and designated by his symbol, [mercury]. [1913 Webster]

Note: Mercury forms alloys, called amalgams, with many metals, and is thus used in applying tin foil to the backs of mirrors, and in extracting gold and silver from their ores. It is poisonous, and is used in medicine in the free state as in blue pill, and in its compounds as calomel, corrosive sublimate, etc. It is the only metal which is liquid at ordinary temperatures, and it solidifies at about -39[deg] Centigrade to a soft, malleable, ductile metal. [1913 Webster]

3. (Astron.) One of the planets of the solar system, being the one nearest the sun, from which its mean distance is about 36,000,000 miles. Its period is 88 days, and its diameter 3,000 miles. [1913 Webster]

4. A carrier of tidings; a newsboy; a messenger; hence, also, a newspaper. --Sir J. Stephen. ``The monthly Mercuries.'' --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

5. Sprightly or mercurial quality; spirit; mutability; fickleness. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

He was so full of mercury that he could not fix long in any friendship, or to any design. --Bp. Burnet. [1913 Webster]

6. (Bot.) A plant ({Mercurialis annua}), of the Spurge family, the leaves of which are sometimes used for spinach, in Europe. [1913 Webster]

Note: The name is also applied, in the United States, to certain climbing plants, some of which are poisonous to the skin, esp. to the {Rhus Toxicodendron}, or poison ivy. [1913 Webster]

{Dog's mercury} (Bot.), {Mercurialis perennis}, a perennial plant differing from {Mercurialis annua} by having the leaves sessile.

{English mercury} (Bot.), a kind of goosefoot formerly used as a pot herb; -- called {Good King Henry}.

{Horn mercury} (Min.), a mineral chloride of mercury, having a semitranslucent, hornlike appearance. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Quicksilver — Исполнитель Pink Floyd Альбом More Дата выпуска 27 июля 1969 (Великобритания) Дата записи …   Википедия

  • Quicksilver — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Este artículo trata sobre el personaje de cómic. Para otros usos de este término, véase Quicksilver (desambiguación). Para el otro personaje del Universo Marvel conocido como Mercurio, véase Mercurio (cómic)… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Quicksilver — Quick sil ver, n. [Quick living + silver; so called from its fluidity; cf. G. quecksilber, L. argentum vivum. See {Quick}, a.] (Chem.) The metal mercury; so called from its resemblance to liquid silver. [1913 Webster] {Quicksilver horizon}, a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • quicksilver — (n.) O.E. cwicseolfor, translating L. argentum vivum (Cf. It. argento vivo), lit. living silver; so called from its liquid mobility. See QUICK (Cf. quick) + SILVER (Cf. silver) (n.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • quicksilver — ► NOUN 1) liquid mercury. 2) (before another noun ) moving or changing rapidly …   English terms dictionary

  • quicksilver — [kwik′sil΄vər] n. [ME < OE cwicseolfor < cwicu, living (see QUICK) + seolfor,SILVER: transl. of L argentum vivum, lit., living silver: from its liquid form] mercury: see MERCURY (n. 3a) vt. to cover with mercury adj. 1. of or like …   English World dictionary

  • Quicksilver — NOTOC Quicksilver can refer to:Aircraft* Eipper Quicksilver ultralight aircraftClothing* Quiksilver, a clothing brand specializing in surfing and winter sportsLiterature* Quicksilver (novel), part of The Baroque Cycle by Neal StephensonMedia and… …   Wikipedia

  • Quicksilver — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Quicksilver est un mot anglais signifiant vif argent  , ancienne désignation du mercure. Quicksilver est le nom original du super héros Vif Argent …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Quicksilver — Der Begriff Quicksilver (mittelenglisch: quyksilver, in der englischsprachigen Literatur auch für: Quecksilber) bezeichnet: einen Roman von Neal Stephenson, siehe Barock Zyklus und auch Neal Stephenson einen Film; siehe Quicksilver (Film) den DJ… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • quicksilver — quick|sil|ver [ˈkwıkˌsılvə US ər] n [U] 1.) old use the metal ↑mercury 2.) literary something that is like quicksilver changes or moves quickly in a way that you do not expect ▪ His mood changed like quicksilver. >quicksilver adj ▪ his… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • quicksilver — [[t]kwɪ̱ksɪlvə(r)[/t]] 1) N UNCOUNT Quicksilver is the same as mercury. [OLD FASHIONED] 2) ADJ: ADJ n Quicksilver movements or changes are very fast and unpredictable. ...her quicksilver changes of mood …   English dictionary

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