mercurial (redirected from mercurials)

mer·cu·ri·al  (mr-kyr-l)

adj.

1. often Mercurial

a. Roman Mythology Of or relating to the god Mercury.

b. Astronomy Of or relating to the planet Mercury.

2. Having the characteristics of eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, and thievishness attributed to the god Mercury.

3. Containing or caused by the action of the element mercury.

4. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: a mercurial nature.

n.

A pharmacological or chemical preparation containing mercury.

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[Middle English, of the planet Mercury, from Latin mercurilis, of the god or planet Mercury, from Mercurius, Mercury.]

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mer·curi·al·ly adv.

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mercurial [mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl]

adj

1. (Chemistry / Elements & Compounds) of, like, containing, or relating to mercury

2. volatile; lively a mercurial temperament

3. (Astronomy) (sometimes capital) of, like, or relating to the god or the planet Mercury

n

(Medicine) Med any salt of mercury for use as a medicine

[from Latin mercuriālis]

mercurially  adv

mercurialness , mercuriality n

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	mercurial - liable to sudden unpredictable change; "erratic behavior"; "fickle weather"; "mercurial twists of temperament"; "a quicksilver character, cool and willful at one moment, utterly fragile the next" erratic, quicksilver, fickle changeful, changeable - such that alteration is possible; having a marked tendency to change; "changeable behavior"; "changeable moods"; "changeable prices"
	2.	Mercurial - relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; "the Mercurial canals"
	3.	Mercurial - relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; "more than Mercurial thievishness"
	4.	mercurial - relating to or containing or caused by mercury; "mercurial preparations"; "mercurial sore mouth"

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mercurial

adjective capricious, volatile, unpredictable, erratic, variable, unstable, fickle, temperamental, impulsive, irrepressible, changeable, quicksilver, flighty, inconstant his mercurial temperament
stable, constant, steady, consistent, reliable, predictable, dependable, unchanging

Translations

mercurial [mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl] ADJ

1. (Chem) → mercúrico, mercurial

2. (= lively) → vivo; (= changeable) → veleidoso, voluble

mercurial [mɜː^rˈkjʊəriəl] adj [person, temperament] → changeant(e)

mercurial

adj

(Chem: = containing mercury) → quecksilberhaltig

(fig) (= volatile) → sprunghaft, wechselhaft; (= lively) → quicklebendig

mercurial [mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl] adj (unpredictable) → volubile