What does "mercurial" mean?
Mercurial: Having the form or image of Mercury; -- applied to ancient guideposts. [Obs.] Chillingworth.
Additional senses
- 2.Of or pertaining to Mercury as the god of trade; hence, money- making; crafty. The mercurial wand of commerce. J. Q. Adams.
- 3.Of or pertaining to, or containing, mercury; as, mercurial preparations, barometer. See Mercury, 2.
- 4.(Med.) Caused by the use of mercury; as, mercurial sore mouth.
- 5.A person having mercurial qualities. Bacon.
- 6.(Med.) A preparation containing mercury.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00