erratic, fickle, mercurial, quicksilver
(adjective) 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”
mercurial
(adjective) relating to or containing or caused by mercury; “mercurial preparations”; “mercurial sore mouth”
Mercurial
(adjective) relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; “more than Mercurial thievishness”
Mercurial
(adjective) relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; “the Mercurial canals”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
mercurial (plural mercurials)
(obsolete) Any of the plants known as mercury, especially the annual mercury or French mercury (Mercurialis annua). [13th–17th c.]
(astrology) A person born under the influence of the planet Mercury; hence, a person having an animated, lively, quick-witted or volatile character. [from 16th c.]
(chemistry) A chemical compound containing mercury.
(pharmacology, historical) A preparation of mercury, especially as a treatment for syphilis. [from 17th c.]
mercurial (comparative more mercurial, superlative most mercurial)
(comparable) Having a lively or volatile character; animated, changeable, quick-witted. [from 17th c.]
Synonyms: fickle, unpredictable
(not comparable, astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mercury; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see adjective sense 1). [from 16th c.]
(not comparable, astronomy) Pertaining to the planet Mercury. [from 14th c.]
(not comparable, chemistry) Of or pertaining to the element mercury or quicksilver; containing mercury. [from 16th c.]
(not comparable, medicine) Caused by the action of mercury or a mercury compound.
(not comparable, Roman mythology) Pertaining to Mercury, the Roman god of, among other things, commerce, financial gain, communication, and thieves and trickery; hence (comparable), money-making; crafty. [from 15th c.]
Source: Wiktionary
Mer*cu"ri*al, a. Etym: [L. mercurialis, fr. Mercurius Mercury: cf. F. mercuriel.]
1. Having the qualities fabled to belong to the god Mercury; swift; active; sprightly; fickle; volatile; changeable; as, a mercurial youth; a mercurial temperament. A mercurial man Who fluttered over all things like a fan. Byron.
2. Having the form or image of Mercury; -- applied to ancient guideposts. [Obs.] Chillingworth.
3. Of or pertaining to Mercury as the god of trade; hence, money- making; crafty. The mercurial wand of commerce. J. Q. Adams.
4. Of or pertaining to, or containing, mercury; as, mercurial preparations, barometer. See Mercury, 2.
5. (Med.)
Definition: Caused by the use of mercury; as, mercurial sore mouth.
Mer*cu"ri*al, n.
1. A person having mercurial qualities. Bacon.
2. (Med.)
Definition: A preparation containing mercury.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
18 March 2025
(noun) any of numerous and diverse orchids of the genus Odontoglossum having racemes of few to many showy usually large flowers in many colors
According to Guinness World Records, on 25 September 2016, the Birla Institute of Management Technology (India) in Uttar Pradesh, India, constructed the largest coffee cups pyramid consisting of 23,821 cups. They used paper takeaway coffee cups to build the pyramid.
