Wiktionary:Word of the day/September 22

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mercurial adj

(comparable) Having a lively or volatile character; animated, changeable, quick-witted. (not comparable, astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mercury; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see adjective sense 1). (not comparable, astronomy) Pertaining to the planet Mercury. (not comparable, chemistry) Of or pertaining to the element mercury or quicksilver; containing mercury. (not comparable, medicine) Caused by the action of mercury or a mercury compound. (not comparable, Roman mythology) Pertaining to Mercury, the Roman god of, among other things, commerce, financial gain, communication, and thieves and trickery; hence (comparable), money-making; crafty. To mark the premiere of English composer Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite The Planets on 29 September 1918, we are featuring a series of words relating to the planets in the Solar System. One of the suite’s movements is Mercury, the Winged Messenger, which was composed in 1916.

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