Mercuric: meaning, definitions and examples

Duplicate entry, see above.

Used in everyday language to describe someone whose moods change very quickly. It can also refer to something that is erratic or unpredictable. The term can have a slightly negative connotation when referring to someone's personality.

• Her mercurial personality made it hard to predict her reactions.
• The stock market is notoriously mercurial.

Specific to scientific or chemical contexts, referring to compounds containing mercury with a valence of +1. Like 'mercuric,' it is not commonly used outside of these contexts.

• Mercurous chloride, also known as calomel, has historical use as a medicine.
• The lab conducted tests on a sample of mercurous nitrate.

Used in scientific and technical contexts, especially in chemistry, to refer to compounds containing mercury with a valence of two. Often found in discussions about toxicology and environmental science due to mercury's hazardous nature.

• Mercuric chloride is used in the laboratory for a variety of chemical reactions.
• Exposure to mercuric compounds can be extremely harmful to health.

Typically employed in a scientific context, particularly in chemistry and biology, to indicate elements, ions, or molecules with a valence of two. This term is often used in genetics to refer to paired homologous chromosomes.

• The bivalent nature of calcium enables it to form stable compounds.
• During meiosis, homologous chromosomes form bivalents.

Used interchangeably with 'bivalent' in scientific discussions, particularly in chemistry, to describe elements with a valence of two. It might be slightly more common in chemical literature compared to 'bivalent'.

• Iron can exist in a divalent state, known as ferrous.
• Divalent ions play a crucial role in the stability of DNA structures.