quicksilver

[ kwik-sil-ver ]
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noun
  1. the metallic element mercury.

verb (used with object)
  1. to amalgamate (metal) with mercury.

Origin of quicksilver

1
before 1000; Middle English qwyksilver,Old English cwicseolfor (translation Latin argentum vīvum) literally, living silver

Other words from quicksilver

  • quick·sil·ver·y, adjective

Words Nearby quicksilver

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How to use quicksilver in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for quicksilver

quicksilver

/ (ˈkwɪkˌsɪlvə) /


noun
  1. another name for mercury (def. 1)

adjective
  1. rapid or unpredictable in movement or change: a quicksilver temper

Origin of quicksilver

1
Old English, from cwicu alive (see quick) + seolfer silver

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012