mercurial
[ mer-kyoor-ee-uhl ]
/ mərˈkyʊər i əl /
adjective
changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.
animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.
pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the god Mercury.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the planet Mercury.
noun
Pharmacology. a preparation of mercury used as a drug.
Words nearby mercurial
merciless, merckx, mercosur, mercouri, mercurate, mercurial, mercurial barometer, mercurialism, mercurialize, mercuric, mercuric chloride
Origin of mercurial
SYNONYMS FOR mercurial
2 spirited.
OTHER WORDS FROM mercurial
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Examples from the Web for mercurial
British Dictionary definitions for mercurial
mercurial
/ (mɜːˈkjʊərɪəl) /
adjective
of, like, containing, or relating to mercury
volatile; livelya mercurial temperament
(sometimes capital) of, like, or relating to the god or the planet Mercury
noun
med any salt of mercury for use as a medicine
Derived forms of mercurial
mercurially, adverbmercurialness or mercuriality, nounWord Origin for mercurial
C14: from Latin mercuriālis
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for mercurial
mercurial
[ mər-kyur′ē-əl ]
adj.
Containing or caused by the action of the element mercury.
n.
A pharmacological or chemical preparation containing mercury.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.