different between mercurial vs unsteady

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 un- +? steady. Like steady, the word first appeared in English around 1530. The word is comparable to Old Frisian onstedich, Low German unstadig, etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?st?di/
• Rhymes: -?di
• Hyphenation: un?steady

Adjective

unsteady (comparative unsteadier, superlative unsteadiest)

1. Not held firmly in position, physically unstable.

   • "Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins," remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children. Austin, knee-deep in a dozen Sunday supplements, refused to stir; poor little Eileen was now convalescent from grippe, but still unsteady on her legs; her maid had taken the grippe, and now moaned all day: […]"

2. Lacking regularity or uniformity.
3. Inconstant in purpose, or volatile in behavior.

Synonyms

• (not held or fixed securely and likely to fall over): precarious, rickety, shaky; see also Thesaurus:rickety
• (lacking regularity or uniformity): chaotic, irregular, unstable; see also Thesaurus:unsteady

Antonyms

• steady

Derived terms

• unsteadily

Translations

Verb

unsteady (third-person singular simple present unsteadies, present participle unsteadying, simple past and past participle unsteadied)

1. To render unsteady, removing balance.

Anagrams

• Dauntsey, unstayed