Mercury Chases the Sunset

Poststructural Pub
1

2

Ahh! A little red dot! Let’s see how many complex concepts we can derive from that:

mer·cu·ri·al /mərˈkyʊəriəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mer-kyoor-ee-uhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective

  1. changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.
  2. animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.
  3. pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury.
  4. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the god Mercury.
  5. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the planet Mercury.
    –noun
  6. Pharmacology. a preparation of mercury used as a drug.
    [Origin: 1350–1400; ME < L mercuriālis of, pertaining to the god or planet Mercury. See mercury, -al1]

—Related forms
mer·cu·ri·al·ly, adverb
mer·cu·ri·al·ness, mer·cu·ri·al·i·ty, noun

—Synonyms 1. inconstant, indecisive. 2. spirited.
—Antonyms 1. constant, steady. 2. phlegmatic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
mer·cu·ri·al (mər-kyŏŏr’ē-əl) Pronunciation Key
adj.

  1. often Mercurial
  2. Roman Mythology Of or relating to the god Mercury.
  3. Astronomy Of or relating to the planet Mercury.
  4. Having the characteristics of eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, and thievishness attributed to the god Mercury.
  5. Containing or caused by the action of the element mercury.
  6. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: a mercurial nature.


    n. A pharmacological or chemical preparation containing mercury.


    [Middle English, of the planet Mercury, from Latin mercuriālis, of the god or planet Mercury, from Mercurius, Mercury.]

mer·cu’ri·al·ly adv.
(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
mercurial
1390, “pertaining to the planet Mercury” (see Mercury). Meaning “sprightly, volatile, quick” (1593) is from supposed qualities of those born under the planet Mercury, probably partially by association with quicksilver.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
mercurial

adjective

  1. liable to sudden unpredictable change; “erratic behavior”; “fickle weather”; “mercurial twists of temperament”; “a quicksilver character, cool and willful at one moment, utterly fragile the next” [syn: erratic]
  2. relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; “the Mercurial canals”
  3. relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; “more than Mercurial thievishness”
  4. relating to or containing or caused by mercury; “mercurial preparations”; “mercurial sore mouth”

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

mer·cu·ri·al (mr-kyr-l)
adj.

Containing or caused by the action of the element mercury.

n.

A pharmacological or chemical preparation containing mercury.

The American Heritage® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: 2mercurial
Function: noun
: a pharmaceutical or chemical containing mercury
Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: 1mer·cu·ri·al
Pronunciation: (")m&r-'kyur-E-&l
Function: adjective
: of, relating to, containing, or caused by mercury
Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Dictionary.com Word of the Day Archive - Cite This Source - Share This

mercurial

mercurial was Word of the Day on October 7, 2002.
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
On-line Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

mercurial

mercurial: in CancerWEB’s On-line Medical Dictionary
On-line Medical Dictionary, © 1997-98 Academic Medical Publishing & CancerWEB