Mercury

7 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Poison \Poi"son\, n. [F. poison, in Old French also, a potion,
     fr. L. potio a drink, draught, potion, a poisonous draught,
     fr. potare to drink. See {Potable}, and cf. {Potion}.]
     1. Any agent which, when introduced into the animal organism,
        is capable of producing a morbid, noxious, or deadly
        effect upon it; as, morphine is a deadly poison; the


        poison of pestilential diseases.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. That which taints or destroys moral purity or health; as,
        the poison of evil example; the poison of sin.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Poison ash}. (Bot.)
        (a) A tree of the genus {Amyris} ({Amyris balsamifera})
            found in the West Indies, from the trunk of which a
            black liquor distills, supposed to have poisonous
            qualities.
        (b) The poison sumac ({Rhus venenata}). [U. S.]
  
     {Poison dogwood} (Bot.), poison sumac.
  
     {Poison fang} (Zool.), one of the superior maxillary teeth of
        some species of serpents, which, besides having the cavity
        for the pulp, is either perforated or grooved by a
        longitudinal canal, at the lower end of which the duct of
        the poison gland terminates. See Illust. under {Fang}.
  
     {Poison gland} (Biol.), a gland, in animals or plants, which
        secretes an acrid or venomous matter, that is conveyed
        along an organ capable of inflicting a wound.
  
     {Poison hemlock} (Bot.), a poisonous umbelliferous plant
        ({Conium maculatum}). See {Hemlock}.
  
     {Poison ivy} (Bot.), a poisonous climbing plant (formerly
        {Rhus Toxicodendron}, or {Rhus radicans}, now classified
        as {Toxicodendron radicans}) of North America. It is
        common as a climbing vine, especially found on tree
        trunks, or walls, or as a low, spreading vine or as a
        shrub. As a low vine it grows well in lightly shaded
        areas, recognizable by growing in clusters of three
        leaves. Its leaves are trifoliate, rhombic-ovate, and
        variously notched. Its form varies slightly from location
        to location, leading to some speculation that it may
        consist of more than one species. Many people are poisoned
        by it, though some appear resistant to its effects.
        Touching the leaves may leave a residue of an oil on the
        skin, and if not washed off quickly, sensitive areas of
        skin become reddened and develop multiple small blisters,
        lasting for several days to several weeks, and causing a
        persistent itch. The toxic reaction is due to an oil,
        present in all parts of the plant except the pollen,
        called {urushiol}, the active component of which is the
        compound {pentadecylacatechol} (according to [a
  
        href="http:]/www.jaxmed.com/articles/Diseases/poison_ivy_dermatitis.htm">Charles
        H. Booras). See {Poison sumac}. It is related to {poison
        oak}, and is also called {mercury}.
  
     {Poison nut}. (Bot.)
        (a) Nux vomica.
        (b) The tree which yields this seed ({Strychnos
            Nuxvomica}). It is found on the Malabar and Coromandel
            coasts.
  
     {Poison oak} (Bot.), a dermatitis-producing plant often
        lumped together with the poison ivy ({Toxicodendron
        radicans}) in common terminology, but more properly
        distinguished as the more shrubby {Toxicodendron
        quercifolium} (syn. {Toxicodendron diversilobum}), common
        in California and Oregon. Opinion varies as to whether the
        poison oak and poison ivy are only variants of a single
        species. See {poison ivy}, above.
  
     {Poison sac}. (Zool.) Same as {Poison gland}, above. See
        Illust. under {Fang}.
  
     {Poison sumac} (Bot.), a poisonous shrub formerly considered
        to be of the genus {Rhus} ({Rhus venenata}), but now
        classified as {Toxicodendron vernix}; -- also called
        {poison ash}, {poison dogwood}, and {poison elder}. It has
        pinnate leaves on graceful and slender common petioles,
        and usually grows in swampy places. Both this plant and
        the poison ivy ({Toxicodendron radicans}, formerly {Rhus
        Toxicodendron}) have clusters of smooth greenish white
        berries, while the red-fruited species of this genus are
        harmless. The tree ({Rhus vernicifera}) which yields the
        celebrated Japan lacquer is almost identical with the
        poison sumac, and is also very poisonous. The juice of the
        poison sumac also forms a lacquer similar to that of
        Japan.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     Syn: Venom; virus; bane; pest; malignity.
  
     Usage: {Poison}, {Venom}. Poison usually denotes something
            received into the system by the mouth, breath, etc.
            Venom is something discharged from animals and
            received by means of a wound, as by the bite or sting
            of serpents, scorpions, etc. Hence, venom specifically
            implies some malignity of nature or purpose.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mercury \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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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].
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: 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[deg]
           Centigrade to a soft, malleable, ductile metal.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A carrier of tidings; a newsboy; a messenger; hence, also,
        a newspaper. --Sir J. Stephen. "The monthly Mercuries."
        --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. Sprightly or mercurial quality; spirit; mutability;
        fickleness. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He was so full of mercury that he could not fix long
              in any friendship, or to any design.  --Bp. Burnet.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. (Bot.) A plant ({Mercurialis annua}), of the Spurge
        family, the leaves of which are sometimes used for
        spinach, in Europe.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: 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.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Dog's mercury} (Bot.), {Mercurialis perennis}, a perennial
        plant differing from {Mercurialis 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.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mercury \Mer"cu*ry\, v. t.
     To wash with a preparation of mercury. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  mercury
       n 1: a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic
            element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary
            temperatures [syn: {quicksilver}, {hydrargyrum}, {Hg}, {atomic
            number 80}]
       2: (Roman mythology) messenger of Jupiter and god of commerce;
          counterpart of Greek Hermes
       3: the smallest planet and the nearest to the sun
       4: temperature measured by a mercury thermometer; "the mercury
          was falling rapidly"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  104 Moby Thesaurus words for "Mercury":
     Agdistis, Amor, Aphrodite, Apollo, Apollon, Ares, Artemis, Ate,
     Athena, Bacchus, Ceres, Cora, Cronus, Cupid, Cybele, Demeter,
     Despoina, Diana, Dionysus, Dis, Earth, Eros, Gaea, Gaia, Ge,
     Great Mother, Hades, Helios, Hephaestus, Hera, Here, Hermes,
     Hestia, Hymen, Hyperion, Iris, Jove, Juno, Jupiter, Jupiter Fidius,
     Jupiter Fulgur, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Jupiter Pluvius,
     Jupiter Tonans, Kore, Kronos, Magna Mater, Mars, Minerva, Mithras,
     Momus, Neptune, Nike, Olympians, Olympic gods, Ops, Orcus,
     Paul Revere, Persephassa, Persephone, Pheidippides, Phoebus,
     Phoebus Apollo, Pluto, Poseidon, Proserpina, Proserpine, Rhea,
     Saturn, Tellus, Uranus, Venus, Vesta, Vulcan, Zeus, asteroid,
     carrier, commercialism, commissionaire, courier,
     diplomatic courier, emissary, estafette, express, go-between,
     industrialism, inferior planet, major planet, mercantilism,
     message-bearer, messenger, minor planet, nuncio, planet, planetoid,
     post, postboy, postrider, runner, secondary planet, solar system,
     superior planet, terrestrial planet, wanderer
  
  

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  74 Moby Thesaurus words for "mercury":
     April showers, Gyropilot, Proteus, antelope, arrow,
     automatic pilot, blue darter, blue streak, boatheader, boatsteerer,
     cannonball, chameleon, cicerone, cloud shapes, courier, courser,
     cowherd, coxswain, dart, dragoman, drover, eagle, electricity,
     express train, flash, gazelle, glass, goatherd, greased lightning,
     greyhound, guide, guidepost, guider, hare, helmsman, herd,
     herdsman, jet plane, kaleidoscope, light, lightning, moon,
     navigator, pilot, pointer, quicksilver, river pilot, rocket,
     rolling stone, scared rabbit, shepherd, shifting sands, shot,
     steerer, steersman, streak, streak of lightning, striped snake,
     swallow, the weather, thermal detector, thermometer, thermostat,
     thought, thunderbolt, torrent, tour director, tour guide, water,
     weather vane, weathercock, wheel of fortune, whirligig, wind
  
  

From Elements database 20001107 [elements]:

  mercury
  Symbol: Hg
  Atomic number: 80
  Atomic weight: 200.59
  Heavy silvery liquid metallic element, belongs to the zinc group. Used in
  thermometers, barometers and other scientific apparatus. Less reactive
  than zinc and cadmium, does not displace hydrogen from acids. Forms a
  number of complexes and organomercury compounds.