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mercury Definition

mer·cury (mʉr′kyo̵or ē, -kyər-)

noun

  1. Rom. Myth. the messenger of the gods, god of commerce, manual skill, eloquence, cleverness, travel, and thievery: identified with the Greek Hermes
  2. the eighth largest planet in the solar system and the one nearest to the sun: diameter, c. 4,880 km (c. 3,030 mi); period of revolution, 87.97 earth days; period of rotation, 58.65 earth days; symbol, ☿

  3. Etymology: ME < ML mercurius < L, Mercurius, Mercury: so named by the alchemists because of its fluidity: see quicksilver

    1. a heavy, silver-white metallic chemical element, liquid at ordinary temperatures, which sometimes occurs in a free state but usually in combination with sulfur; quicksilver: it is used in thermometers, air pumps, electrical products, etc. and in dentistry: symbol, Hg; at. no., 80
    2. the mercury column in a thermometer or barometer
  4. pl. -·riesNow Rare a messenger or guide
  5. Bot.
    1. any of a genus (Mercurialis) of plants of the spurge family
    2. an edible European plant (Chenopodium bonus-henricus) of the goosefoot family

Etymology: L Mercurius, Mercury, of Etr orig.

mercury Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • spill: Advice is available should you experience any problems or need to dispose of spilled mercury.
  • contain: Many people have metals in the mouth, including dental amalgam fillings, which contain 50 % mercury.

Preposition: in

  • filling: Is there any evidence supporting the theory that mercury in dental fillings is toxic?
  • vaccine: The article argued that the cumulative effects of mercury in vaccine may lower the immune system with the MMR being a possible trigger.
  • tube: Rather than pouring out again, the mercury in the tube will only fall until the height of the column is about a meter.

Adjective modifier

  • elemental: The proponents of transgenic phytoremediation argued that mercury emissions from the treated sites would be below the current emission levels for elemental mercury.
  • inorganic: The main distinction is between organic mercury and inorganic mercury.
  • metallic: Aliquots of the digests were reduced with sodium borohydride to yield metallic mercury.
  • liquid: The LMT consists of a 3 m diameter parabolic dish that holds four gallons of liquid mercury.

Modifies a noun

  • sphygmomanometer: The mercury sphygmomanometer was soon to become the standard instrument for measuring blood pressure.
  • vapor: All the Spread Charts for the mercury vapor lamps tested in the survey are shown here to the same scale.
  • rectifier: Incidentally the station mains were DC and mercury arc rectifiers were used to convert the incoming 415 volt AC into 220 volts DC.
  • barometer: Trying to read a mercury barometer on board a ship caught in a hurricane is not easy.
  • amalgam: Here's Health Magazine carried out a campaign on the adverse effects of mercury amalgam some years ago.
  • thermometer: Never place a mercury thermometer in your baby or child's mouth.

Noun used with modifier

  • methyl: In general, however, methyl mercury levels for most fish are very low.
  • ethyl: Thimerosal is 50 per cent composed of ethyl mercury and is used as a preservative.
  • jersey: Quot that puts birmingham auto insurance jersey mercury new ala area.
  • florida: Have been significantly been backed auto florida insurance mercury into confessed then died.
  • auto: Have been significantly been backed auto florida insurance mercury into confessed then died.
mercury Quotes

   Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork.

—Brautigan, Richard