mercury
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also Mercury
Contents |
English [edit]
| Chemical element | |
|---|---|
| Hg | Previous: gold (Au) |
| Next: thallium (Tl) | |
Etymology [edit]
From Mercury.
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
Wikipedia mercury (uncountable)
- A metal.
- A silvery-colored, toxic, metallic chemical element, liquid at room temperature, with atomic number 80 and symbol Hg. [from 14th c.]
- (sciences, historical) One of the elemental principles formerly thought to be present in all metals. [from 15th c.]
- The mercury as used in a barometer or thermometer; ambient temperature. [from 17th c.]
- The mercury there has averaged 37.6C, 2.3C above the February norm.
- (obsolete) Liveliness, volatility. [17th-18th c.]
- A plant.
- An annual plant, Mercurialis annua, formerly grown for its medicinal properties; French mercury. [from 14th c.]
- 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society 2007, p. 188:
- Towards the tops of the stalks and branches come forth at every joint in the male Mercury two small round green heads, standing together upon a short footstalk, which growing ripe are the seeds, not having any flower.
- 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society 2007, p. 188:
- A similar edible plant, Chenopodium bonus-henricus, otherwise known as English mercury or allgood. [from 15th c.]
- (US, regional) The poison oak or poison ivy. [from 18th c.]
- An annual plant, Mercurialis annua, formerly grown for its medicinal properties; French mercury. [from 14th c.]
Synonyms [edit]
- azoth (in alchemy)
- hydrargyrum (in medical and sometimes chemical use)
- quicksilver (not in technical use)
Derived terms [edit]
Derived terms
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
element
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