quicksilver

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) The metal mercury.
2. (broadly, uncountable) An amalgam of mercury and tin applied to the backs of mirrors, quicksilvering.

Adj

Unpredictable, erratic or fickle; mercurial.

Verb

1. (transitive) To overlay with quicksilver.
2. (transitive) To treat with quicksilver.

Synonyms

mercury

hydrargyrum

mercurial

erratic

fickle

Hg

liquid mercury

volatile

ore

atomic number 80

vacillant

vagarious

wavering

erratical

quick silver

cinnabar

off the deep end

fluid

flyaway

Mercury

money

💸

quick-witted

silver

uncertain

unpredictable

unstable

Translations

mercure

Quecksilber

mercurio

mercurio

kwikzilver

kwik

υδράργυρος

vif-argent

mercúrio

argento vivo

mercuri

azogue

cıva

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkwɪkˌsɪlvɚ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: quyk silver

Inherited from Old English: cwicseolfor

Cognate with Latin: argentum vivum

Cognate with Dutch: kwikzilver

Cognate with German: Quecksilber

Cognate with Danish: kviksølv

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: kvikksølv

Cognate with Swedish: kvicksilver

In summary

From Middle English quyk silver, quyksilver, quikselver, from Old English cwicseolfor (“quicksilver”, literally “living silver”) (see Latin argentum vivum) from its ability to move. See quick in the sense of "living". Cognate with Dutch kwikzilver, German Low German Quicksülver, German Quecksilber, Danish kviksølv, Norwegian Bokmål kvikksølv, Swedish kvicksilver. By surface analysis, quick (“living”) + silver.