mercury
pronunciation
How to pronounce mercury in British English:
UK [ˈmɜːkjəri]
How to pronounce mercury in American English:
US [ˈmɜːrkjəri]
-
- Noun:
- a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
- temperature measured by a mercury thermometer
Word Origin
- mercury
- mercury: [14] The Roman god Mercury got his name from his original role as patron of trade and tradesmen: Latin Mercurius was a derivative of merx ‘goods for sale’ (source of English commerce and merchant). The inspiration for the medieval application of the term to the fluid metal was its use as a planet-name, which dates from the classical Latin period.=> commerce, merchant
- Mercury
- "the Roman god Mercury," mid-12c., from Latin Mercurius "Mercury," originally a god of tradesmen and thieves, from merx "merchandise" (see market (n.)); or perhaps [Klein, Tucker] from Etruscan and influenced by merx. Later he was associated with Greek Hermes. The planet closest to the sun so called in classical Latin (late 14c. in English). A hypothetical inhabitant of the planet was a Mercurean (1855) or a Mercurian (1868). For the metallic element, see mercury.
- mercury (n.)
- silver-white fluid metallic element, late 14c., from Medieval Latin mercurius, from Latin Mercurius (see Mercury). Prepared from cinnabar, it was one of the seven metals (bodies terrestrial) known to the ancients, which were coupled in astrology and alchemy with the seven known heavenly bodies. This one probably so associated for its mobility. The others were Sun/gold, Moon/silver, Mars/iron, Saturn/lead, Jupiter/tin, Venus/copper. The Greek name for it was hydrargyros "liquid silver," which gives the element its symbol, Hg. Compare quicksilver.
Synonym
Example
- 1. Does the new vaccine contain the mercury compound thimerosal ?
- 2. Further processes evaporate water and remove things like mercury .
- 3. Take the chevrolet cobalt and the mercury grand marquis .
- 4. Fearing mercury contamination , many pregnant women avoid seafood altogether .
- 5. He said it 's unclear why mercury concentrations are rising in some fish .