5. Sprightly or mercurial quality; spirit; mutability; fickleness. [Obs.] He was so full of mercury that he could not fix long in any friendship, or to any design. Bp. Burnet.
6. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Mercurialis annua), of the Spurge family, the leaves of which are sometimes used for spinach, in Europe.
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. Dog's mercury (Bot.), Mercurialis perennis, a perennial plant differing from M. 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.
MERCURY
Mer"cu*ry, v. t.
Defn: To wash with a preparation of mercury. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
MERCY
Mer"cy, n.; pl. Mercies. Etym: [OE. merci, F. merci, L. merces,
mercedis, hire, pay, reward, LL., equiv. to misericordia pity, mercy.
L. merces is probmerere to deserve, acquire. See Merit, and cf.
Amerce.]
1. Forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency. Examples of justice must be made for terror to some; examples of mercy for comfort to others. Bacon.
2. Compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and helpless; sometimes, favor, beneficence. Luke x. 37.
3. Disposition to exercise compassion or favor; pity; compassion; willingness to spare or to help. In whom mercy lacketh and is not founden. Sir T. Elyot.