mercury
noun
mer·cu·ry
ˈmər-kyə-rē 
-k(ə-)rē
plural mercuries
1
a
capitalized
: a Roman god of commerce, eloquence, travel, cunning, and theft who serves as messenger to the other gods compare hermes
b
often capitalized archaic
: a bearer of messages or news or a conductor of travelers
2
[Middle English mercurie, from Medieval Latin mercurius, from Latin, the god]
a
: a silver-white poisonous heavy metallic element that is liquid at ordinary temperatures and is used especially in batteries, in dental amalgam, and in scientific instruments
called also quicksilver
see Chemical Elements Table
b
: the column of mercury in a thermometer or barometer
3
capitalized
: the planet nearest the sun see Planets Table
Examples of mercury in a Sentence
In the summer, the mercury can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Recent Examples on the Web
Those treatments corresponded to a pet theory of the Geiers that autism stemmed from the interaction of mercury in thimerosal with testosterone, and therefore that reducing testosterone would address autism.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
The lawsuit points to a study commissioned by groups Moms Across America and GMO Science that said that 100% of the cookies tested contained aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, and that 13 cookies were positive for high levels of glyphosate, an herbicide typically used to kill weeds.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
In addition to the threat of violence, workers face risks related to the use of mercury in the process to extract gold from ore.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Low Gears Are Your Friend A little manual control goes a long way when the mercury dips, so don’t be afraid to shift into lower gear to get a bit more grip on the road.
—Kade Krichko, Outside Online, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercury
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
The lawsuit points to a study commissioned by groups Moms Across America and GMO Science that said that 100% of the cookies tested contained aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, and that 13 cookies were positive for high levels of glyphosate, an herbicide typically used to kill weeds.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
In addition to the threat of violence, workers face risks related to the use of mercury in the process to extract gold from ore.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Low Gears Are Your Friend A little manual control goes a long way when the mercury dips, so don’t be afraid to shift into lower gear to get a bit more grip on the road.
—Kade Krichko, Outside Online, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercury
Cite this Entry
“Mercury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercury. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mercury
noun
mer·cu·ry
ˈmər-kyə-rē
-k(ə-)rē
Medical Definition
mercury
noun
mer·cu·ry
ˈmər-kyə-rē, -k(ə-)rē
plural mercuries
1
: a heavy silver-white poisonous metallic element that is liquid at ordinary temperatures and used especially in scientific instruments
—symbol Hg
called also quicksilver
see Chemical Elements Table2
: a pharmaceutical preparation containing mercury or a compound of it
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