quicksilver
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of quicksilver
before 1000; Middle English qwyksilver, Old English cwicseolfor (translation Latin argentum vīvum ) literally, living silver
Explanation
Use the noun quicksilver when you need a more poetic way to talk about the element known as mercury. If you look closely at an old-fashioned thermometer, you can see the quicksilver inside it. It's more common to refer to this metal — the only one that is liquid at room temperature — as mercury, but it's also correct to call it quicksilver, which describes the properties of the element very well. Quicksilver is liquid, silver colored, and is fascinating to look at. The word comes from the sense of quick that means "alive;" the Latin root is argentum vivum, which is literally "living silver."
Vocabulary lists containing quicksilver
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
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"Coming of Age in the Dawnland," Vocabulary from the historical excerpt
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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.
Kildunne's positional switch may give her quicksilver running skills more scope to shine out wide, but she will have to get to grips quickly with the different defensive demands of the role.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
"Christian Cullen," Halse said, referencing the quicksilver All Black full-back who scored 46 tries in 58 Tests for New Zealand.
From BBC • Sep. 5, 2025
Music director and conductor Stephen Oremus maintained the production’s high musical standards, bringing out the extensive palette of a rock score with quicksilver moods.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025
Prosecutors, too, seemed sometimes frustrated by both the quicksilver pace of her answers — she is a fast talker, with little filter — and the consistent objections by the defense, many of which Merchan upheld.
From New York Times • May 7, 2024
The steel ladder was made of paper, of silk, of quicksilver, of air.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
