quicksilver
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
- quicksilvery adjective
Etymology
Origin of quicksilver
before 1000; Middle English qwyksilver, Old English cwicseolfor (translation Latin argentum vīvum ) literally, living silver
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
All would be lost, however, without Mays’ quicksilver brilliance — the way he can shift from savage irony to vindictive rage to godless despair in the space of a line.
From Los Angeles Times
The stray water collapses to the ground, only to roll toward the right-hand window like beads of quicksilver.
From Literature
But after that, Carpenter’s quicksilver timing and ease, plus a diverse set of sketches, put the episode over the top.
From Los Angeles Times
That combination of hard-running forward and quicksilver backs, connecting with superb handling skills, was in evidence again and again.
From BBC
Expect a similarly powerful forward pack, with some quicksilver runners and astute playmakers in the backline.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
