quicksilver
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quicksilver
- /ˈkwɪkˌsɪlvɚ/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English quyk silver, quyksilver, quikselver, from Old English cwicseolfor (“quicksilver”, literally “living silver”) (see Latin argentum vīvum) from its ability to move. See quick in the sense of "living". Cognate with Dutch kwikzilver, German Low German Quicksülver, German Quecksilber, Danish kviksølv, Norwegian Bokmål kvikksølv, Swedish kvicksilver. By surface analysis, quick (“living”) + silver.
noun
-
The metal mercury.
Similar: mercury, hydrargyrum
- An amalgam of mercury and tin applied to the backs of mirrors; quicksilvering.
adjective
- Unpredictable, erratic, or fickle; mercurial. Summer is not the most auspicious season for theater in New York. Aside from a few certifiable Broadway hits, it is, in fact, a rather quicksilver commodity.
verb quicksilvers · quicksilvering · quicksilvered
- To overlay with quicksilver.
- To treat with quicksilver.
Translations
Every language
noun mercury
| Español | mercurio, azogue, argento vivo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 수은 sueun |
| 日本語 | 水銀 suigin |
| 中文 | 水銀 /水银 shuǐyín |
| Português | mercúrio |
| Français | vif-argent |
| Deutsch | Quecksilber |
| Italiano | argento vivo |
| Ελληνικά | υδράργυρος ydrárgyros |
| Română | mercur, argint viu, hidrargir |
| Русский | ртуть rtutʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | thuỷ ngân, thủy ngân |
| עברית | כַּסְפִּית kaspít, כֶּסֶף חַי késef ẖay |
adj unpredictable, erratic
| Deutsch | quecksilbrig |
|---|
Talk about this word "quicksilver." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/quicksilver. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. quicksilver. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/quicksilver "quicksilver." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/quicksilver.Cite this
@misc{quicksilver_2026,
title = {quicksilver},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/quicksilver},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
