Vol"a*tile (?), a. [F. volatil, L. volatilis, fr. volare to fly,
perhaps akin to velox swift, E. velocity. Cf. Volley.] 1. Passing
through the air on wings, or by the buoyant force of the atmosphere;
flying; having the power to fly. [Obs.]
2. Capable of wasting away, or of easily passing into the aëriform
state; subject to evaporation.
Substances which affect the smell with pungent or fragrant odors, as
musk, hartshorn, and essential oils, are called volatile substances,
because they waste away on exposure to the atmosphere. Alcohol and
ether are called volatile liquids for a similar reason, and because
they easily pass into the state of vapor on the application of heat. On
the contrary, gold is a fixed substance, because it does not suffer
waste, even when exposed to the heat of a furnace; and oils are called
fixed when they do not evaporate on simple exposure to the atmosphere.
3. Fig.: Light-hearted; easily affected by circumstances; airy; lively;
hence, changeable; fickle; as, a volatile temper.
You are as giddy and volatile as ever.
Swift.
Volatile alkali. (Old Chem.) See under Alkali. — Volatile liniment, a
liniment composed of sweet oil and ammonia, so called from the
readiness with which the latter evaporates. — Volatile oils. (Chem.)
See Essential oils, under Essential.
Vol"a*tile, n. [Cf. F. volatile.] A winged animal; wild fowl; game.
[Obs.] Chaucer. Sir T. Browne.
{Vol"a*tile*ness, Vol`a*til"i*ty (?), } n. [Cf. F. volatilité.] Quality
or state of being volatile; disposition to evaporate; changeableness;
fickleness.
Syn. — See Levity.
Vol"a*til*i`za*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. volatisable.] Capable of being
volatilized.
Vol`a*til*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. volatilisation.] The act or process
of volatilizing, or rendering volatile; the state of being volatilized.
Vol"a*til*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Volatilized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Volatilizing (?).] [Cf. F. volatiliser.] To render volatile; to cause
to exhale or evaporate; to cause to pass off in vapor.
The water . . . dissolving the oil, and volatilizing it by the action.
Sir I. Newton.
||Vo*la"tor (?), n. [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same as Volador, 1.
||
||Vol`-au`-vent" (?), n. [F.] (Cookery) A light puff paste, with a
||raised border, filled, after baking, usually with a ragout of fowl,
||game, or fish.
||
Vol"borth*ite (?), n. [So named after Volborth, who first discovered
it.] (Min.) A mineral occurring in small six-sided tabular crystals of
a green or yellow color. It is a hydrous vanadate of copper and lime.
Vol*ca"ni*an (?), a. Volcanic. [R.] Keats.
Vol*can"ic (?), a. [Cf. F. volcanique, It. vulcanico.] 1. Of or
pertaining to a volcano or volcanoes; as, volcanic heat.
2. Produced by a volcano, or, more generally, by igneous agencies; as,
volcanic tufa.