Word.ws English Dictionary

mercury

Syllables: merc·ury/ˈmɜːkjʊ.ɹi//ˈmɝ.kjə.ɹi/

mercury noun: a silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80; it is liquid at room temperature, and toxic.

mercury: senses relating to the metal
Image: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun (1)

mercury (countable and uncountable, plural mercuries)

  1. A silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80; it is liquid at room temperature, and toxic.
    • When therfore they perceaue a ſufficient quantitie of golde thus remaynynge on the tables, they gather it with diligence and put it in a tray or great ſhallowe dyſſhe of wod […] they beate or mixte (or amalgame it as they caule it) with Mercurie or quickſyluer, […]1555, Peter Martyr of Angleria [i.e., Peter Martyr d’Anghiera], “Of the Myne of Golde and the Qualitie therof in Particular”, in Rycharde Eden [i.e., Richard Eden], transl., The Decades of the Newe...
    • [I]f the inverted Tube of Mercury be but 25 Digits high, or ſomevvhat more, the Quick-ſilver vvill not fall but remain ſuſpended in the Tube; becauſe it cannot preſs the ſubjacent Mercury vvith ſo great a force, as does the incumbent Cylinder of the Air reaching thence to the top of the Atmoſphere...1659 December 30 (date written), Robert Boyle, “[Experiment 3]”, in New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] H[enry] Hall...
  2. Preceded by the: mercury (noun sense 1) as used in the column of a barometer or thermometer, its fall or rise thus indicating the decrease or increase of ambient pressure or temperature.
    • The mercury there has averaged 37.6°C, 2.3°C above the February norm.
    • The summers are oppressively hot, and the winters very probably cold; but this fact cannot be ascertained precisely, as, for some peculiar reason, the mercury in these latitudes never shrinks, as in more northern regions, and thus the thermometer is rendered useless in winter.1857–1858, Oliver Wendell Holmes [Sr.], “V. Our Sumatra Correspondence.”, in The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson and Company, published 1858, →OCLC, page 134
  3. (historical) A preparation containing mercury (noun sense 1), especially calomel (mercurous chloride) or corrosive sublimate (mercuric chloride), formerly used as a medicine to treat syphilis, etc.
    • [O]ur Cures vvere rendered tedious and unſucceſsful, […] vvhilſt their Bodies vvere purged vvith Catharticks vvithout Mercury. […] They are generally ſtrong if the party can bear them, viz. ſome Preparations of Mercury, as Turbish mineral. &c. or, Antimonial, as Crocus Metallor, in ſtronger Bodies...1676, Richard Wiseman, “The First Book. A Treatise of Tumours. Chapter II. Of the Remedies Generally Used in the Cure.”, in Severall Chirurgicall Treatises, London: […] E. Flesher and J. Macock, for...
    • [A] Set of Thieves and Pickpockets, not only robb'd and cheated the poor People of their Money, but poiſoned their Bodies vvith odious and fatal preparations; ſome vvith Mercury, and ſome vvith other things as bad, perfectly remote from the Thing pretended to; and rather hurtful than ſerviceable to...1722 March, H[enry] F[oe] [pseudonym; Daniel Defoe], A Journal of the Plague Year: […], London: […] E[lizabeth] Nutt […]; J. Roberts […]; A. Dodd […]; and J. Graves […], →OCLC, page 38
  4. (historical) One of the elemental principles formerly thought to be present in all metals.
  5. (figuratively, obsolete) Liveliness, volatility.
    • Religion thou haſt none: thy Mercury / Has paſs'd though every Sect, or theirs through Thee.1682, [John Dryden], The Medall. A Satyre Against Sedition. […], Edinburgh: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 11
    • [A]s able as your ſelf and as nimble too, though I mayn't have ſo much Mercury in my Limbs; […]1693, Will[iam] Congreve, The Old Batchelour, a Comedy. […], London: […] Peter Buck, […], →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 5
  6. An annual plant, now generally called annual mercury (Mercurialis annua), chiefly native to central and southern Europe which was formerly grown for its medicinal properties; French mercury, herb mercury.
    • The herbe which is cõmunely [communely, i.e., commonly] called in engliſhe mercury hath nothyng to do wyth mercurialis, whereof I ſpake nowe. Let the Poticaries vſe thys mercury and let the commune mercury alone.1548, William Turner, “Mercurialis”, in The Names of Herbes in Greke, Latin, Englishe Duche & Frenche wyth the Commune Names that Herbaries and Apotecaries Use. […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for]...
    • French Mercurie is ſovven in kitchen gardens among potherbes, in vineyardes, and in moiſt ſhadovvie places, […] Mercurie is hot and drie, yet not aboue the ſecond degree: it hath a clenſing facultie, and (as Galen) vvriteth) a digeſting qualitie alſo.1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of French Mercurie”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book II, page 262
    Synonyms:
    mercurial
  7. Any of several plants of the genus Mercurialis; specifically (obsolete), dog's mercury or wild mercury (Mercurialis perennis).
    • Phyllon […] may be Engliſhed Barons Mercury or Phyllon, or Boyes Mercury or Phyllõ [Phyllon]. And the female is called […] in Engliſh Gyrles Phyllon or Mercury, Daughters Phyllon, or Mayden Mercury.1578, Rembert Dodoens, “Of Mercurie”, in Henry Lyte, transl., A Niewe Herball, or Historie of Plantes: […], London: […] [Henry [i.e., Hendrik van der] Loë for] Gerard Dewes, […], →OCLC, 1st part...
    • Dogs Mercurie is ſomevvhat like vnto the garden Mercurie, ſauing the leaues heereof are greater, and the ſtalke not ſo tender, and yet very brittle, grovving to a height of a foote, vvithout any braunches at all, vvith ſmall yellovve flovvers. […] Childrens Mercurie hath three or fovver ſtalkes or...1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Wilde Mercurie”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book II, pages...
  8. (Northern England) Allgood or Good King Henry (Blitum bonus-henricus), a species of goosefoot native to central and southern Europe formerly cultivated as a vegetable but now generally regarded as a weed; English mercury, false mercury (obsolete).
    • This herbe is called […] in Engliſh, Good Henry, and Algood: of ſome it is taken for Mercurie.1578, Rembert Dodoens, “Of Algood”, in Henry Lyte, transl., A Niewe Herball, or Historie of Plantes: […], London: […] [Henry [i.e., Hendrik van der] Loë for] Gerard Dewes, […], →OCLC, 5th part...
    • Engliſh Mercurie, or good Henrie. […] It is taken for a kinde of Mercurie, but vnproperly, for that it hath no participation vvith Mercurie, either in forme or qualitie, except yee vvil call euery herbe Mercurie vvhich hath povver to looſe the bellie.1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of English Mercurie”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book II, page 259
  9. (Northeastern, US) Poison ivy or poison oak (genus Toxicodendron, especially the eastern poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) or Atlantic poison oak (Toxicodendron pubescens)).

Verb

mercury (third-person singular simple present mercuries, present participle mercurying, simple past and past participle mercuried)

  1. (historical, transitive) To apply or coat (something) with mercury (noun sense 1) or a preparation containing mercury.
    • In proceeding to elucidate my process, I will divide it into six parts, the first three of which will be confined to plate cleaning; the fourth to coating with chemicals; the fifth to mercurying and chemicals, and the sixth to finishing with general remarks.1851 September, J. H. Fitzgibbon, “Article V. Daguerreotypeing Simplified”, in M. Tarver, editor, The Western Journal, of Agriculture, Manufactures, Mechanic Arts, Internal Improvement, Commerce, and...
    • An image is but an appearance on glass that has been mercuried. It cannot be a friend.1929, Rebecca West [pseudonym; Cicily Isabel Fairfield], chapter V, in Harriet Hume: A London Fantasy, London: Hutchinson & Co. […], →OCLC, page 228
    1. (historical, obsolete, rare, specifically, transitive) to apply to (the face) a preparation of mercury to beautify it
      • […] I knovv, you ha' not a finger, but is as long as my quiuer (couſin Mercvrie) vvhen you pleaſe to extend it. […] Alas, your palmes (Ivpiter knovves) they are as tender as the foot of a foundred nagge, or a ladies face nevv mercuried, the'ile [they'll] touch nothing.1600 (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Cynthias Reuels, or The Fountayne of Selfe-Loue. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby...
  2. (historical, transitive) To administer to (someone) a medicine containing mercury.
    • As for bloodletting, their prime cooler, it is inflammatory; and they know it (parrot-wise), for the thumping heart, and bounding pulse, of pashints blid [bled] by butchers in black, and bullocks blid by butchers in blue, prove it; and they have recorded this in all their books; yet stabbed, and...[1863 March 28 – December 26, Charles Reade, chapter III, in Hard Cash: A Matter-of-fact Romance. […] (Collection of British Authors; 731), copyright edition, volume I, Leipzig, Saxony: Bernhard...

Proper noun capitalized: Mercury

Mercury

  1. The first planet in the Solar system with the closest orbit to the Sun, named after the god; represented by ☿.
    • Thou, first of the children of men, art come to Mercury, where thou and I will journey up and down for a season to show thee the lands and oceans, the forests, plains, and ancient mountains, cities and palaces of this world, Mercury, and the doings of them that dwell therein.1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 1
  2. (Roman) The Roman god associated with speed, sometimes used as a messenger, wearing winged sandals; the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes.
  3. (Philippines, abbreviation, ellipsis) Ellipsis of Mercury Drug.
    Synonyms:
    ☿

Noun (2) capitalized: Mercury

Mercury (plural Mercuries)

  1. (obsolete) Quicksilver, mercury. (No longer capitalized, as the name of the metal is no longer recognized as that of the planet.)
  2. (archaic) A newsboy, a messenger.
  3. (archaic) A footman.
    • Enter Mr. Tulkinghorn, followed by Mercuries with lamps and candles.1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC
  4. (archaic) Someone who carries messages between lovers; a go-between.
    • His Mercury having made his observations, reported, that there was no body in the coach but Mrs. Hornbeck and an elderly woman, who had all the air of a duenna, and that the servant was not the same footman who had attended them in France.1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC
  5. (archaic) A newspaper.
    • No allusion to it is to be found in the monthly Mercuries.1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and...

mercury meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu and Bengali

mercury in Hindi

silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80
पारा pārā, पारद pārad

mercury in Tamil

silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80
பாதரசம் pātaracam, தனிமம் taṉimam

mercury in Urdu

silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80
پارہ pāra

mercury in Bengali

silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80
পারদ parod
More languagesFewer languages
mercury in Telugu
పాదరసము pādarasamu
mercury in Malayalam
രസം rasaṁ
mercury in Kannada
ಪಾರಜ pāraja, ಪಾದರಸ pādarasa
mercury in Punjabi
ਪਾਰਾ pārā
mercury in Sanskrit
पारद pārada
mercury in Assamese
পাৰা para, ৰহ roh
mercury in Pashto
پاره pārá
mercury in Tagalog
asoge
mercury in Arabic
زِئْبَق ziʔbaq, زَاؤُوق zāʔūq, حُلْبُوب ḥulbūb
mercury in Malay
merkuri, raksa, perak cergas, hidrargirum
mercury in Indonesian
raksa, merkuri
mercury in Persian
جیوه jive, ژیوه žive, سیماب simâb
mercury in Thai
ปรอท bpà-rɔ̀ɔt
mercury in Vietnamese
thuỷ ngân
mercury in Myanmar
ပြဒါး pra.da:

Examples of mercury in a sentence

  • The largest pond is as sensitive to atmospheric changes as the globule of mercury in its tube.1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Spring”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 323:
  • Rail temperatures are checked at Manchester Piccadilly on July 18—the first of two consecutive days in which the mercury rose above 38°C across large parts of England.2022 August 10, “How can We Run Trains when the Heat is on?”, in Rail, number 963, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC...
  • The Moderns have artfully fixed this Mercury [i.e., wit], and reduced it to the Circumſtances of Time, Place and Perſon.1704, [Jonathan Swift], “The Preface”, in A Tale of a Tub. […], London: […] John Nutt, […], →OCLC:
  • He [The Duke of Buckingham] vvas ſo full of mercury, that he could not fix long in any friendſhip, or to any deſign.a. 1716 (date written), [Gilbert] Burnet, “Book II. Of the First Twelve Years of the Reign of King Charles II. from the Year 1660 to the...

All 40 example sentences with mercury

Synonyms of mercury

Forms of mercury

Noun
pluralmercuries
alternative formmercurie
pluralMercuries
Verb
third-person singular presentmercuries
present participlemercurying
past participlemercuried
pastmercuried

Plural of mercury: mercuries

Origin of mercury

The noun is derived from Middle English mercurie (“metallic chemical element, quicksilver; a plant, probably goosefoot (genus Chenopodium); (possibly) dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis); etc.”), borrowed from Late Latin mercurius (“metallic chemical element, quicksilver”), Latin Mercurius (“Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, communication, etc.; the planet Mercury; etc.”), possibly from merc-, a stem of merx (“goods, wares; merchandise”); further etymology uncertain, possibly: * from Etruscan; or * from Proto-Indo-European *merǵ- (“to divide”), or *merkʷ- (“to grasp; to take”). The suffix -urius is also thought to be from Etruscan. Noun sense 1 (“metallic chemical element”) is from the association in medieval alchemy of the seven known metals—gold, silver, quicksilver, copper, iron, tin, and lead—with the Sun, the Moon, and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. An analogy was probably also drawn between the element being liquid at room temperature, and the Roman god Mercury’s attribute of swiftness. Noun sense 2 (“senses relating to plants”) is derived from mercurial (“(obsolete) any of the plants now known as mercury”, noun), from Middle English mercurial (“a...

Inherited from Middle English Mercurie, from Latin Mercurius.

Words formed from mercury

Phrases with mercury

9 more phrasesFewer phrases

Questions about mercury

What does mercury mean?
Mercury means a silvery-coloured, metallic chemical element with the atomic number 80; it is liquid at room temperature, and toxic.
What is mercury in Hindi?
Mercury in Hindi is पारा (pārā), पारद (pārad). See Mercury meaning in Hindi.
How do you use mercury in a sentence?
The largest pond is as sensitive to atmospheric changes as the globule of mercury in its tube.
What part of speech is mercury?
Mercury can be a noun, a verb or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce mercury?
Mercury is pronounced /ˈmɜːkjʊ.ɹi/ (UK).
What is the plural of mercury?
The plural of mercury is mercuries.

Words near mercury in the dictionary

  1. mercurocuprates
  2. mercurophen
  3. mercurous
  4. mercurous chloride
  5. mercurous iodide
  6. mercury
  7. mercury arc rectifier
  8. mercury arc rectifiers
  9. mercury barometer
  10. mercury barometers
  11. Mercury dime

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: mercury (page history and authors); Mercury (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “mercury.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/mercury. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.