different between mercurial vs convertible

English

Etymology

Noun sense 1 (“(obsolete) plant known as mercury”) is from Middle English mercurial, mercuryal (“a plant, probably the goosefoot (Chenopodium); (possibly) dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis)”), from Anglo-Norman mercurial and Old French mercurial, or directly from their etymon Latin mercuri?lis (“a plant, probably annual mercury (Mercurialis annua)”), from mercuri?lis (“pertaining to the Roman god Mercury”, adjective), from Mercurius (“the Roman god Mercury”) + -?lis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns).

Later adjective and noun uses may have been directly derived from Latin mercuri?lis (adjective), whence Middle English mercurial, Mercurial (“under the astrological influence of the planet Mercury”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /m???kj??.??.?l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /m??kj?.?i.?l/, /-?kj?-/
• Hyphenation: mer?cu?ri?al

Noun

mercurial (plural mercurials)

1. (obsolete) Any of the plants known as mercury, especially the annual mercury or French mercury (Mercurialis annua). [13th–17th c.]
2. (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.]
3. (chemistry) A chemical compound containing mercury.
4. (pharmacology, historical) A preparation of mercury, especially as a treatment for syphilis. [from 17th c.]

Alternative forms

• mercuriall (obsolete)

Translations

Adjective

mercurial (comparative more mercurial, superlative most mercurial)

1. (comparable) Having a lively or volatile character; animated, changeable, quick-witted. [from 17th c.]

   Synonyms: fickle, unpredictable
2. (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.]
3. (not comparable, astronomy) Pertaining to the planet Mercury. [from 14th c.]
5. (not comparable, chemistry) Of or pertaining to the element mercury or quicksilver; containing mercury. [from 16th c.]
6. (not comparable, medicine) Caused by the action of mercury or a mercury compound.
7. (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.]

Alternative forms

• mercuriall (obsolete)
• (pertaining to the Roman god Mercury or planet Mercury): Mercurial

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Notes

References

Further reading

• Mercurialis (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• mercury (element) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Mercury (mythology) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Mercury (planet) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Interlingua

Adjective

mercurial (not comparable)

1. mercurial, pertaining to mercury (metal)

Middle English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mercuri?lis, Mercuri?lis (“pertaining to the Roman god Mercury”).

Noun

mercurial (uncountable)

1. (botany) A plant belonging to the genus Chenopodium; a goosefoot.

   Synonym: mercurie

Alternative forms

• mercuriale

Adjective

mercurial

1. (astrology, astronomy) Pertaining to or under the influence of the planet Mercury.

Alternative forms

• Mercurial

Descendants

• English: mercurial

References

• “mercuri?l, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 5 May 2019.
• “Mercuri?l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 5 May 2019.

Romanian

Etymology

From French mercuriel, from Latin mercurialis.

Adjective

mercurial m or n (feminine singular mercurial?, masculine plural mercuriali, feminine and neuter plural mercuriale)

1. mercurial

Declension

Spanish

Adjective

mercurial (plural mercuriales)

1. mercurial

English

Etymology

From Old French convertible, from Late Latin convertibilis (“interchangeable”), from Latin convertere (“to turn back, to turn over, to turn around, to turn upside down”), from con- (“with, together”) + vertere (“to turn”), + -ibilis (“-ible: able to”). Equivalent to convert +? -ible.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /k?n?v??t?b?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /k?n?v??d?b?l/, /k?n?v??t?b?l/
• Rhymes: -??(r)t?b?l, -??(r)t?b?l

Adjective

convertible (comparative more convertible, superlative most convertible)

1. Able to be converted, particularly:
   1. Able to be exchanged, one for the other, especially
      • 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 3, ch. VI, Two Centuries

        As if, in truth, there were no God of Labour; as if godlike Labour and brutal Mammonism were convertible terms.

      1. (historical numismatics) Able to be exchanged for specie.
      2. (numismatics) Able to be exchanged for foreign currency.
      3. (finance) Able to be exchanged for a different class of security (usually common stock) under certain set terms.
   2. (logic) Able to undergo conversion (i.e., inversion) without falsehood.
   3. Able to be turned, especially
      1. (obsolete) Able to be turned in a different direction.
         • 1635, Nathanael Carpenter, Geography Delineated Forth in Two Bookes (1.4.77)

           The Axis of the Earth is supposed to haue a convertible nature.

      2. Able to be turned to a different purpose.
      3. Able to be turned to a different religion or belief.
   4. Able to be turned into a different thing, especially
      1. (vehicles) Able to change from a closed to an open frame and back again.
      2. (obsolete) Able to be easily digested.

Synonyms

• (able to be exchanged): equivalent, interchangeable, swappable; synonymous (of words)

Antonyms

• inconvertible

Derived terms

• convertible husbandry, convertible land, convertibleness

Translations

Noun

convertible (plural convertibles)

1. (dated, in the plural) Interchangeable things or terms.
2. (vehicles) A convertible car: a car with a removable or foldable roof able to convert from a closed to open vehicle and back again.
3. (finance) A convertible security: a stock, bond, etc. that can be turned into another (usually common stock) under certain set terms.
4. (computing) A computer able to convert from laptop to tablet and back again.

Synonyms

• (car with removable roof): cabriolet, cabrio (used of European cars), drophead (British), landau, roadster

Translations

See also

• landaulet

References

• “convertible, adj. and n.”, in OED Online ?, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1893

French

Etymology

From the verb convertir

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.v??.tibl/

Adjective

convertible (plural convertibles)

1. convertible (able to be converted)

Derived terms

• convertiblement

Further reading

• “convertible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kombe??tible/, [kõm.be??t?i.??le]

Adjective

convertible (plural convertibles)

1. convertible

Noun

convertible m (plural convertibles)

1. (Latin America) convertible (car)

   Synonym: descapotable

Related terms

• convertir