Mer*cu"ri*al*ist, n. 1. One under the influence of Mercury; one
resembling Mercury in character.
2. (Med.) A physician who uses much mercury, in any of its forms, in
his practice.
Mer*cu"ri*al*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mercurialized (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Mercurializing (?).] 1. (Med.) To affect with mercury.
2. (Photography) To treat with mercury; to expose to the vapor of
mercury.
Mer*cu"ri*al*ize, v. i. To be sprightly, fantastic, or capricious.
[Obs.]
Mer*cu"ri*al*ly, adv. In a mercurial manner.
Mer*cu"ric (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from, mercury;
containing mercury; -- said of those compounds of mercury into which
this element enters in its lowest proportion.
Mercuric chloride, corrosive sublimate. See Corrosive.
Mer*cu`ri*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. mercurification. See Mercurify.]
1. (Metal.) The process or operation of obtaining the mercury, in its
fluid form, from mercuric minerals.
2. (Chem.) The act or process of compounding, or the state of being
compounded, with mercury. [R.]
Mer*cu"ri*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mercurified (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mercurifying (?).] [Mercury + -fy.] 1. To obtain mercury from, as
mercuric minerals, which may be done by any application of intense heat
that expels the mercury in fumes, which are afterward condensed. [R.]
2. To combine or mingle mercury with; to impregnate with mercury; to
mercurialize. [R.]
Mer"cu*rism (?), n. A communication of news; an announcement. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Mer*cu"rous (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from,
mercury; containing mercury; -- said of those compounds of mercury in
which it is present in its highest proportion.
Mercurous chloride. (Chem.) See Calomel.
Mer"cu*ry (?), n. [L. Mercurius; akin to merx wares.] 1. (Rom. Myth.) A
Latin god of commerce and gain; -- treated by the poets as identical
with the Greek Hermes, messenger of the gods, conductor of souls to the
lower world, and god of eloquence.
2. (Chem.) A metallic element mostly obtained by reduction from
cinnabar, one of its ores. It is a heavy, opaque, glistening liquid
(commonly called quicksilver), and is used in barometers, thermometers,
etc. Specific gravity 13.6. Symbol Hg (Hydrargyrum). Atomic weight
199.8. Mercury has a molecule which consists of only one atom. It was
named by the alchemists after the god Mercury, and designated by his
symbol, .
Mercury forms alloys, called amalgams, with many metals, and is thus
used in applying tin foil to the backs of mirrors, and in extracting
gold and silver from their ores. It is poisonous, and is used in
medicine in the free state as in blue pill, and in its compounds as
calomel, corrosive sublimate, etc. It is the only metal which is liquid
at ordinary temperatures, and it solidifies at about -39° Centigrade to
a soft, malleable, ductile metal.
3. (Astron.) One of the planets of the solar system, being the one
nearest the sun, from which its mean distance is about 36,000,000
miles. Its period is 88 days, and its diameter 3,000 miles.
4. A carrier of tidings; a newsboy; a messenger; hence, also, a
newspaper. Sir J. Stephen. "The monthly Mercuries." Macaulay.
5. Sprightly or mercurial quality; spirit; mutability; fickleness.
[Obs.]
He was so full of mercury that he could not fix long in any
friendship, or to any design.
Bp. Burnet.
6. (Bot.) A plant (Mercurialis annua), of the Spurge family, the leaves
of which are sometimes used for spinach, in Europe.
The name is also applied, in the United States, to certain climbing
plants, some of which are poisonous to the skin, esp. to the Rhus
Toxicodendron, or poison ivy.
Dog's mercury (Bot.), Mercurialis perennis, a perennial plant differing
from M. annua by having the leaves sessile. -- English mercury (Bot.),
a kind of goosefoot formerly used as a pot herb; - - called Good King
Henry. -- Horn mercury (Min.), a mineral chloride of mercury, having a
semitranslucent, hornlike appearance.
Mer"cu*ry, v. t. To wash with a preparation of mercury. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
Mer"cy (?), n.; pl. Mercies (#). [OE. merci, F. merci, L. merces,
mercedis, hire, pay, reward, LL., equiv. to misericordia pity, mercy.
L. merces is prob. akin to merere to deserve, acquire. See Merit, and
cf. Amerce.] 1. Forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of
provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate
treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency.
Examples of justice must be made for terror to some; examples of
mercy for comfort to others.
Bacon.
2. Compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and helpless; sometimes,
favor, beneficence. Luke x. 37.
3. Disposition to exercise compassion or favor; pity; compassion;
willingness to spare or to help.
In whom mercy lacketh and is not founden.
Sir T. Elyot.