† mercurificationn.
Obsolete.
1.
a. Chemistry. The action or process of obtaining the ‘mercury’ of a metal: see mercury n. 8.
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the world > matter > alchemy > alchemical processes > [noun] > mercurification
mercurification1680
1680 R. Boyle Exper. & Notes Prodvcibleness Chymicall Princ. iv. 148 in Sceptical Chymist (new ed.) Wary men may be excus'd, if they do not think fit to beleeve other processes of mercurification.
1797 Encycl. Brit. XI. 401/2 Mercurification, in metallurgic chemistry, the obtaining the mercury from metallic minerals in its fluid form.
b. The action or process of extracting mercury (quicksilver) from an ore. rare.
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society > occupation and work > industry > working with specific materials > working with metal > [noun] > extraction from ore > extraction of mercury
mercurification1757
1757 tr. J. F. Henckel Pyritologia 100 In the mercurification and regulation of cinnabar.
2. The act of mixing something with mercury. rare.Perhaps arising from a misunderstanding of Boyle's use (see sense 1a).Apparently only attested in dictionaries or glossaries.
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1860 J. E. Worcester Dict. Eng. Lang. Mercurification, the act of mercurifying or mixing with mercury. Boyle.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2001; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
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n.1680