mercurial

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /mɝˈkjʊ.ɹi.əl/ UK /məːˈkjʊə.ɹɪ.əl/ See IPA manual

Freq #53287

Meanings

1

adj
relating to or containing or caused by mercury

Mercurial preparations.
2

adj
relating to or having eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness characteristics, attributed to the god Mercury

They had more than Mercurial thievishness.
3

adj
relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury

The Mercurial canals.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

variable changeable fickle volatile changeful capricious erratic

Word family

Derived forms intermercurialintramercurialmercurialisationmercurialisemercurialismmercurialistmercurialitymercurializationmercurializemercuriallymercurialnessnonmercurial

Related forms hot-temperedmercuricmercuryquick-tempered

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mercurial ointment
a salve made with mercury for application to the skin

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Noun sense 1 (“(obsolete) plant known as mercury”) is from Middle English mercurial (“a plant, probably the goosefoot (Chenopodium); (possibly) dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis)”), from Anglo-Norman mercurial, Old French mercurial, or directly from their etymon Latin mercuriālis (“a plant, probably annual mercury (Mercurialis annua)”), short for herba mercuriālis (“(probably) annual mercury”, literally “herb or plant of the god Mercury”). Mercuriālis (“pertaining to the Roman god Mercury”, adjective) is derived from Mercurius (“the Roman god Mercury”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of r...

mercurial Middle English mercuriālis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# mercurial

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /mɝˈkjʊ.ɹi.əl/
**IPA (UK):** /məːˈkjʊə.ɹɪ.əl/
**Frequency rank:** 53287

## Meanings
1. relating to or containing or caused by mercury
2. relating to or having eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness characteristics, attributed to the god Mercury
3. relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury

## Examples
- Mercurial preparations.
- They had more than Mercurial thievishness.
- The Mercurial canals.

## Synonyms
- variable
- changeable
- fickle
- volatile
- changeful
- capricious
- erratic

## Derived Forms
- intermercurial
- intramercurial
- mercurialisation
- mercurialise
- mercurialism
- mercurialist
- mercuriality
- mercurialization
- mercurialize
- mercurially
- mercurialness
- nonmercurial

## Related Forms
- hot-tempered
- mercuric
- mercury
- quick-tempered

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: mercurial
- Root: mercuriālis

## Etymology
Noun sense 1 (“(obsolete) plant known as mercury”) is from Middle English mercurial (“a plant, probably the goosefoot (Chenopodium); (possibly) dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis)”), from Anglo-Norman mercurial, Old French mercurial, or directly from their etymon Latin mercuriālis (“a plant, probably annual mercury (Mercurialis annua)”), short for herba mercuriālis (“(probably) annual mercury”, literally “herb or plant of the god Mercury”). Mercuriālis (“pertaining to the Roman god Mercury”, adjective) is derived from Mercurius (“the Roman god Mercury”) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of r...

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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