Word: mercury Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Latin Mercurius Latin mercuriusder. Middle English mercurie English mercury The noun is derived from Middle English mercurie (“metallic chemical element, quicksilver; a plant, probably goosefoot (genus Chenopodium); (possibly) dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis); etc.”), borrowed from Late Latin mercurius (“metallic chemical element, quicksilver”), Latin Mercurius (“Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, communication, etc.; the planet Mercury; etc.”), possibly from merc-, a stem of merx (“goods, wares; merchandise”); further etymology uncertain, possibly: * from Etruscan; or * from Proto-Indo-European *merǵ- (“to divide”), or *merkʷ- (“to grasp; to take”). The suffix -urius is also thought to be from Etruscan. Noun sense 1 (“metallic chemical element”) is from the association in medieval alchemy of the seven known metals—gold, silver, quicksilver, copper, iron, tin, and lead—with the Sun, the Moon, and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. An analogy was probably also drawn between the element being liquid at room temperature, and the Roman god Mercury’s attribute of swiftness. Noun sense 2 (“senses relating to plants”) is derived from mercurial (“(obsolete) any of the plants now known as mercury”, noun), from Middle English mercurial (“a plant, probably goosefoot (genus Chenopodium); (possibly) dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis)”, noun) from Anglo-Norman mercurial, Old French mercurial, or directly from their etymon Latin mercuriālis (“a plant, probably annual mercury (Mercurialis annua)”), short for herba mercuriālis (“(probably) annual mercury”, literally “herb or plant of the god Mercury”). Mercuriālis (“pertaining to the Roman god Mercury”, adjective) is derived from Mercurius (“the Roman god Mercury”) (see above) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns). Noun sense 2.2.2.1 (“Blitum bonus-henricus”) is from the fact that this plant was often confused with annual mercury (noun sense 2.1). The verb is derived from the noun. Pronunciation: /ˈmɜːkjʊɹi/, /ˈmɜɹkjəɹi/, /ˈmɜɹkɹi/ 1. Senses relating to the metal. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: When therfore they perceaue a ſufficient quantitie of golde thus remaynynge on the tables, they gather it with diligence and put it in a tray or great ſhallowe dyſſhe of wod […] they beate or mixte (or amalgame it as they caule it) with Mercurie or quickſyluer, […] Example: [I]f the inverted Tube of Mercury be but 25 Digits high, or ſomevvhat more, the Quick-ſilver vvill not fall but remain ſuſpended in the Tube; becauſe it cannot preſs the ſubjacent Mercury vvith ſo great a force, as does the incumbent Cylinder of the Air reaching thence to the top of the Atmoſphere: […] 2. Senses relating to the metal. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The mercury there has averaged 37.6°C, 2.3°C above the February norm. Example: The summers are oppressively hot, and the winters very probably cold; but this fact cannot be ascertained precisely, as, for some peculiar reason, the mercury in these latitudes never shrinks, as in more northern regions, and thus the thermometer is rendered useless in winter. 3. Senses relating to the metal. Labels: countable, historical, uncountable Example: [O]ur Cures vvere rendered tedious and unſucceſsful, […] vvhilſt their Bodies vvere purged vvith Catharticks vvithout Mercury. […] They are generally ſtrong if the party can bear them, viz. ſome Preparations of Mercury, as Turbish mineral. &c. or, Antimonial, as Crocus Metallor, in ſtronger Bodies; but in vveaker Conſtitutions vve give ſuch as vve may. Example: [A] Set of Thieves and Pickpockets, not only robb'd and cheated the poor People of their Money, but poiſoned their Bodies vvith odious and fatal preparations; ſome vvith Mercury, and ſome vvith other things as bad, perfectly remote from the Thing pretended to; and rather hurtful than ſerviceable to the Body in caſe an Infection follovved. 4. Senses relating to the metal. Labels: countable, historical, uncountable 5. Senses relating to the metal. Labels: countable, figuratively, obsolete, uncountable Example: Religion thou haſt none: thy Mercury / Has paſs'd though every Sect, or theirs through Thee. Example: [A]s able as your ſelf and as nimble too, though I mayn't have ſo much Mercury in my Limbs; […] 6. Senses relating to plants. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The herbe which is cõmunely [communely, i.e., commonly] called in engliſhe mercury hath nothyng to do wyth mercurialis, whereof I ſpake nowe. Let the Poticaries vſe thys mercury and let the commune mercury alone. Example: French Mercurie is ſovven in kitchen gardens among potherbes, in vineyardes, and in moiſt ſhadovvie places, […] Mercurie is hot and drie, yet not aboue the ſecond degree: it hath a clenſing facultie, and (as Galen) vvriteth) a digeſting qualitie alſo. 7. Senses relating to plants. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Phyllon […] may be Engliſhed Barons Mercury or Phyllon, or Boyes Mercury or Phyllõ [Phyllon]. And the female is called […] in Engliſh Gyrles Phyllon or Mercury, Daughters Phyllon, or Mayden Mercury. Example: Dogs Mercurie is ſomevvhat like vnto the garden Mercurie, ſauing the leaues heereof are greater, and the ſtalke not ſo tender, and yet very brittle, grovving to a height of a foote, vvithout any braunches at all, vvith ſmall yellovve flovvers. […] Childrens Mercurie hath three or fovver ſtalkes or mo: […] Theſe vvilde kinds of Mercurie are not vſed in Phiſicke, notvvithſtanding it is thought they agree as vvell in nature as qualitie vvith the other kinds of Mercurie. 8. Senses relating to plants. Labels: Northern-England, countable, uncountable Example: This herbe is called […] in Engliſh, Good Henry, and Algood: of ſome it is taken for Mercurie. Example: Engliſh Mercurie, or good Henrie. […] It is taken for a kinde of Mercurie, but vnproperly, for that it hath no participation vvith Mercurie, either in forme or qualitie, except yee vvil call euery herbe Mercurie vvhich hath povver to looſe the bellie. 9. Senses relating to plants. Labels: Northeastern, US, countable, uncountable