different between quicksilver vs quicksand

English

Etymology

From Middle English quyk silver, quyksilver, quikselver, from Old English cwicseolfor (“quicksilver”, literally “living silver”) (see Latin argentum vivum) from its ability to move. See quick in the sense of "living". Equivalent to quick +? silver. Cognate with Dutch kwikzilver, German Low German Quicksülver, German Quecksilber, Danish kviksølv, Norwegian Bokmål kvikksølv, Swedish kvicksilver.

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: kw?k's?lv?r, IPA^(key): /?kw?k?s?lv?/

Noun

quicksilver (uncountable)

1. The metal mercury.
2. (colloquial) An amalgam of mercury and tin applied to the backs of mirrors, quicksilvering.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:quicksilver.

Synonyms

• (the metal mercury): mercury, hydrargyrum

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

quicksilver (not comparable)

1. Unpredictable, erratic or fickle; mercurial.

Translations

Verb

quicksilver (third-person singular simple present quicksilvers, present participle quicksilvering, simple past and past participle quicksilvered)

1. To overlay with quicksilver.
2. To treat with quicksilver.

Further reading

• David Barthelmy (1997–2021) , “Quicksilver”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database
• “quicksilver”, in Mindat.org?^[2], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2021.
• quicksilver in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• William Dwight Whitney and Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1914) , “quicksilver”, in The Century Dictionary: An Encyclopedic Lexicon of the English Language, volume IV (P–Simulant), revised edition, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., OCLC 1078064371.

English

Etymology

From Middle English quyksande, from Old English cwecesand (“quicksand”), equivalent to quick (“living”) +? sand. Cognate with Swedish kvicksand (“quicksand”), Icelandic kviksandur, kviksyndi (“quicksand”). More at quick, sand.

Noun

quicksand (countable and uncountable, plural quicksands)

1. Wet sand that things readily sink in, often found near rivers or coasts

   My feet were firmly lodged in the quicksand, and the more I struggled the more I sank into it.

2. Anything that pulls one down or buries one metaphorically

   The quicksands of youth...

Translations