mercury
noun /ˈmɜːkjəri/
/ˈmɜːrkjəri/
[uncountable] (symbol Hg)
- a chemical element. Mercury is a poisonous silver liquid metal, used in thermometers.
- Studies show very high levels of mercury in local dolphins.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryMercury is used before these nouns:- emission
- poisoning
- pollution
- …
Word OriginMiddle English: from Latin Mercurius, from merx, merc- ‘merchandise’. Mercury is the Roman god of eloquence, skill, trading and thieving, as well as being herald and messenger of the gods.