mercury

Meaning

1. (countable, literally, uncountable) A silvery-colored, toxic, metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg.
2. (countable, historical, literally, uncountable) One of the elemental principles formerly thought to be present in all metals.
3. (countable, literally, uncountable, with-definite-article) Ambient pressure or temperature (from the use of mercury in barometers and thermometers).
4. (countable, literally, obsolete, uncountable) Liveliness, volatility.
5. (countable, uncountable) Any of several types of plant.
6. (countable, uncountable) Any of several types of plant.
7. (countable, uncountable) Any of several types of plant.
8. (US, countable, regional, uncountable) Any of several types of plant.

Synonyms

quicksilver

hydrargyrum

Hg

atomic number 80

liquid mercury

mercurial

ore

hydrargyri

mercure

the planet mercury

liquid silver

amethyst

mercury trap

chemical

mercuric

mercury column

planet

purpure

trap

🪤

Translations

mercure

Quecksilber

mercurio

mercurio

mercúrio

kwik

υδράργυρος

mercuri

kwikzilver

زئبق

hydrargyrum

cıva

zîbeq

mercuriale

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɜː(ɹ)kjʊɹi/

Etymology

From Middle English mercurie, borrowed from Latin Mercurius. The chemical name comes from the planet Mercury. In medieval alchemy, the seven known metals—quicksilver, gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin—were associated with the seven planets. Quicksilver was associated with the fastest planet, named after the Roman god Mercury, associated with speed and mobility. The astrological symbol for the planet became one of the alchemical symbols for the metal, and Mercury became an alternative name for the metal. Mercury is the only metal for which the alchemical planetary name survives, as it was decided it was preferable to quicksilver as a chemical name.
The chemical symbol Hg came from the Greek hydrargyrus (= liquid silver).