quicksilver

Meanings

Noun

• The metal mercury.
• An amalgam of mercury and tin applied to the backs of mirrors, quicksilvering.

Adjective

• Unpredictable, erratic or fickle; mercurial.

Verb

• To overlay with quicksilver.
• To treat with quicksilver.

Related

Similar words

• mercury, hydrargyrum

Origin

• From Middle English quyk silver, quyksilver, quikselver, from Old English cwicseolfor (see Latin argentum vivum) from its ability to move. See quick in the sense of "living". Equivalent to quick + silver. Cognate with Dutch kwikzilver, German Low German Quicksülver, German Quecksilber, Danish kviksølv, Norwegian Bokmål kvikksølv, Swedish kvicksilver.