noun
quicksilver
KWIHK-sihlv
noun
1
An old name for the metal mercury.
"The old thermometer was filled with quicksilver."
adj
1
Changing rapidly and unpredictably; mercurial.
"Her quicksilver moods made her hard to read."
How to Use Quicksilver
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the metal mercury, or (as an adjective) something that shifts quickly and unpredictably.
Common pairings
quicksilver wit
quicksilver temper
Word Forms
quicksilvered past tense, quicksilvers singular
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Etymology
From Old English cwicseolfor, literally "living silver," describing how mercury seems to move on its own.