The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
Chapter 967
Mer"ca*ble (?) , a. [L. mercabilis , fr. mercari to trade, traffic, buy. See Merchant .] Capable of being bought or sold. [Obs.]
Mercantile <Xpage=913>
Mer"can*tile (?; 277) , a. [F. mercantile , It. mercantile , fr. L. mercans , -antis , p. pr. of mercari to traffic. See Merchant .] Of or pertaining to merchants, or the business of merchants; having to do with trade, or the buying and selling of commodities; commercial.
The expedition of the Argonauts was partly mercantile , partly military. Arbuthnot.
Mercantile agency , an agency for procuring information of the standing and credit of merchants in different parts of the country, for the use of dealers who sell to them. -- Mercantile marine , the persons and vessels employed in commerce, taken collectively. -- Mercantile paper , the notes or acceptances given by merchants for goods bought, or received on consignment; drafts on merchants for goods sold or consigned.
McElrath.
Syn. -- Mercantile , Commercial . Commercial is the wider term, being sometimes used to embrace mercantile . In their stricter use, commercial relates to the shipping, freighting, forwarding, and other business connected with the commerce of a country (whether external or internal), that is, the exchange of commodities; while mercantile applies to the sale of merchandise and goods when brought to market. As the two employments are to some extent intermingled, the two words are often interchanged.
Mercaptal <Xpage=913>
Mer*cap"tal (?) , n. [ Mercapt an + al dehyde.] (Chem.) Any one of a series of compounds of mercaptans with aldehydes.
Mercaptan <Xpage=913>
Mer*cap"tan (?) , n. [F., fr. NL. mercurius mercury + L. captans , p. pr. of captare to seize, v. intens. fr. capere .] (Chem.) Any one of series of compounds, hydrosulphides of alcohol radicals, in composition resembling the alcohols, but containing sulphur in place of oxygen, and hence called also the sulphur alcohols . In general, they are colorless liquids having a strong, repulsive, garlic odor. The name is specifically applied to ethyl mercaptan, C2H5SH . So called from its avidity for mercury , and other metals.
Mercaptide <Xpage=913>
Mer*cap"tide (? ∨ ?) , n. (Chem.) A compound of mercaptan formed by replacing its sulphur hydrogen by a metal; as, potassium mercaptide , C2H5SK .
Mercat <Xpage=913>
Mer"cat (?) , n. [L. mercatus : cf. It. mercato . See Market .] Market; trade. [Obs.]
Bp. Sprat.
Mercatante <Xpage=913>
Mer`ca*tan"te (?; It. ?) , n. [It. See Merchant .] A foreign trader. [Obs.]
Shak.
Mercator's chart <Xpage=913>
Mer*ca"tor's chart" (?) . See under Chart , and see Mercator's projection , under Projection .
Mercature <Xpage=913>
Mer"ca*ture (?; 135) , n. [L. mercatura commerce.] Commerce; traffic; trade. [Obs.]
Merce <Xpage=913>
Merce (?) , v. t. [See Amerce .] To subject to fine or amercement; to mulct; to amerce. [Obs.]
Mercenaria <Xpage=913>
Mer`ce*na"ri*a (?) , n. [NL. See Mercenary .] (Zo\'94l.) The quahog.
Mercenarian <Xpage=913>
Mer`ce*na"ri*an (- a n) , n. A mercenary. [Obs.]
Mercenarily <Xpage=913>
Mer"ce*na`ri*ly (?) , adv. In a mercenary manner.
Mercenariness <Xpage=913>
Mer"ce*na*ri*ness , n. The quality or state of being mercenary; venality.
Boyle.
Mercenary <Xpage=913>
Mer"ce*na*ry (?) , a. [OE. mercenarie , F. mercenaire , fr. L. mercenarius , fr. merces wages, reward. See Mercy .] 1. Acting for reward; serving for pay; paid; hired; hireling; venal; as, mercenary soldiers .
2. Hence: Moved by considerations of pay or profit; greedy of gain; sordid; selfish.
Shak.
For God forbid I should my papers blot With mercenary lines, with servile pen. Daniel.
Syn. -- See Venal .
Mercenary <Xpage=913>
Mer"ce*na*ry (?) , n. ; pl. Mercenaries (<?/) . One who is hired; a hireling; especially, a soldier hired into foreign service.
Milman.
Mercer <Xpage=913>
Mer"cer (?) , n. [F. mercier , fr. L. merx , mercis , wares, merchandise. See Merchant .] Originally, a dealer in any kind of goods or wares; now restricted to a dealer in textile fabrics, as silks or woolens. [Eng.]
Mercership <Xpage=913>
Mer"cer*ship , n. The business of a mercer.
Mercery <Xpage=913>
Mer"cer*y (?) , n. [F. mercerie .] The trade of mercers; the goods in which a mercer deals.
Merchand <Xpage=913>
Mer"chand (?) , v. i. [F. marchander . See Merchant .] To traffic. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Merchandisable <Xpage=913>
Mer"chan*di`sa*ble (?) , a. Such as can be used or transferred as merchandise.
Merchandise <Xpage=913>
Mer"chan*dise (?) , n. [F. marchandise , OF. marcheandise .] 1. The objects of commerce; whatever is usually bought or sold in trade, or market, or by merchants; wares; goods; commodities.
Spenser.
2. The act or business of trading; trade; traffic.
Merchandise <Xpage=913>
Mer"chan*dise , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Merchandised (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Merchandising (?) .] To trade; to carry on commerce.
Bacon.
Merchandise <Xpage=913>
Mer"chan*dise , v. t. To make merchandise of; to buy and sell. "Love is merchandised ."
Shak.
Merchandiser <Xpage=913>
Mer"chan*di`ser (?) , n. A trader.
Bunyan.
Merchandry <Xpage=913>
Mer"chand*ry (?) , n. [See Merchant .] Trade; commerce. [Obs.]
Bp. Sanderson.
Merchant <Xpage=913>
Mer"chant (?) , n. [OE. marchant , OF. marcheant , F. marchand , fr. LL. mercatans , -antis , p. pr. of mercatare to negotiate, L. mercari to traffic, fr. merx , mercis , wares. See Market , Merit , and cf. Commerce .] 1. One who traffics on a large scale, especially with foreign countries; a trafficker; a trader.
Others, like merchants , venture trade abroad. Shak.
2. A trading vessel; a merchantman. [Obs.]
Shak.
3. One who keeps a store or shop for the sale of goods; a shopkeeper. [U. S. & Scot.]
Merchant <Xpage=913>
Mer"chant , a. Of, pertaining to, or employed in, trade or merchandise; as, the merchant service .
Merchant bar , Merchant iron ∨ steel , certain common sizes of wrought iron and steel bars. -- Merchant service , the mercantile marine of a country. Am. Cyc. -- Merchant ship , a ship employed in commerce. -- Merchant tailor , a tailor who keeps and sells materials for the garments which he makes.
Merchant <Xpage=913>
Mer"chant , v. i. To be a merchant; to trade. [Obs.]
Merchantable <Xpage=913>
Mer"chant*a*ble (?) , a. Fit for market; such as is usually sold in market, or such as will bring the ordinary price; as, merchantable wheat ; sometimes, a technical designation for a particular kind or class.
Merchantly <Xpage=913>
Mer"chant*ly , a. Merchantlike; suitable to the character or business of a merchant. [Obs.]
Gauden.
Merchantman <Xpage=913>
Mer"chant*man (?) , n. ; pl. Merchantmen (<?/) .
1. A merchant. [Obs.]
Matt. xiii. 45.
2. A trading vessel; a ship employed in the transportation of goods, as, distinguished from a man-of-war .
Merchantry <Xpage=913>
Mer"chant*ry (?) , n. 1. The body of merchants taken collectively; as, the merchantry of a country .
2. The business of a merchant; merchandise.
Walpole.
Merciable <Xpage=913>
Mer"ci*a*ble (?) , a. [OF.] Merciful. [Obs.]
Merciful <Xpage=913>
Mer"ci*ful (?) , a. [ Mercy + -ful .] 1. Full of mercy; having or exercising mercy; disposed to pity and spare offenders; unwilling to punish.
The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious. Ex. xxxiv. 6.
Be merciful , great duke, to men of mold. Shak.
2. Unwilling to give pain; compassionate.
A merciful man will be merciful to his beast. Old Proverb.
Syn. -- Compassionate; tender; humane; gracious; kind; mild; clement; benignant.
-- Mer"ci*ful*ly , adv. -- Mer"ci*ful*ness , n.
Mercify <Xpage=913>
Mer"ci*fy (?) , v. t. To pity. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Merciless <Xpage=913>
Mer"ci*less , a. Destitute of mercy; cruel; unsparing; -- said of animate beings, and also, figuratively, of things; as, a merciless tyrant; merciless waves.
The foe is merciless , and will not pity. Shak.
Syn. -- Cruel; unmerciful; remorseless; ruthless; pitiless; barbarous; savage.
-- Mer"ci*less*ly , adv. -- Mer"ci*less*ness , n.
Mercurammonium <Xpage=913>
Mer`cur*am*mo"ni*um (?) , n. [ Mercur ic + ammonium .] (Chem.) A radical regarded as derived from ammonium by the substitution of mercury for a portion of the hydrogen.
Mercurial <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"ri*al (?) , a. [L. mercurialis , fr. Mercurius Mercury: cf. F. mercuriel .] 1. Having the qualities fabled to belong to the god Mercury; swift; active; sprightly; fickle; volatile; changeable; as, a mercurial youth; a mercurial temperament.
A mercurial man Who fluttered over all things like a fan. Byron.
2. Having the form or image of Mercury; -- applied to ancient guideposts. [Obs.]
Chillingworth.
3. Of or pertaining to Mercury as the god of trade; hence, money-making; crafty.
The mercurial wand of commerce. J. Q. Adams.
4. Of or pertaining to, or containing, mercury; as, mercurial preparations, barometer . See Mercury , 2.
5. (Med.) Caused by the use of mercury; as, mercurial sore mouth .
Mercurial <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"ri*al , n. 1. A person having mercurial qualities.
Bacon.
2. (Med.) A preparation containing mercury.
Mercurialist <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"ri*al*ist , n. 1. One under the influence of Mercury; one resembling Mercury in character.
2. (Med.) A physician who uses much mercury, in any of its forms, in his practice.
Mercurialize <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"ri*al*ize (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mercurialized (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Mercurializing (?) .] 1. (Med.) To affect with mercury.
2. (Photography) To treat with mercury; to expose to the vapor of mercury.
Mercurialize <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"ri*al*ize , v. i. To be sprightly, fantastic, or capricious. [Obs.]
Mercurially <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"ri*al*ly , adv. In a mercurial manner.
Mercuric <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"ric (?) , a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from, mercury; containing mercury; -- said of those compounds of mercury into which this element enters in its lowest proportion.
Mercuric chloride , corrosive sublimate. See Corrosive .
Mercurification <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu`ri*fi*ca"tion (?) , n. [Cf. F. mercurification . See Mercurify .] 1. (Metal.) The process or operation of obtaining the mercury, in its fluid form, from mercuric minerals.
2. (Chem.) The act or process of compounding, or the state of being compounded, with mercury. [R.]
Mercurify <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"ri*fy (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mercurified (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Mercurifying (?) .] [ Mercury + -fy .] 1. To obtain mercury from, as mercuric minerals, which may be done by any application of intense heat that expels the mercury in fumes, which are afterward condensed. [R.]
2. To combine or mingle mercury with; to impregnate with mercury; to mercurialize. [R.]
Mercurism <Xpage=913>
Mer"cu*rism (?) , n. A communication of news; an announcement. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
Mercurous <Xpage=913>
Mer*cu"rous (?) , a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from, mercury; containing mercury; -- said of those compounds of mercury in which it is present in its highest proportion.
Mercurous chloride . (Chem.) See Calomel .
Mercury <Xpage=913>
Mer"cu*ry (?) , n. [L. Mercurius ; akin to merx wares.] 1. (Rom. Myth.) A Latin god of commerce and gain; -- treated by the poets as identical with the Greek Hermes, messenger of the gods, conductor of souls to the lower world, and god of eloquence.
2. (Chem.) A metallic element mostly obtained by reduction from cinnabar, one of its ores. It is a heavy, opaque, glistening liquid (commonly called quicksilver ), and is used in barometers, thermometers, ect. Specific gravity 13.6. Symbol Hg ( Hydrargyrum ). Atomic weight 199.8. Mercury has a molecule which consists of only one atom. It was named by the alchemists after the god Mercury, and designated by his symbol, &mercury;.
&hand; Mercury forms alloys, called amalgams , with many metals, and is thus used in applying tin foil to the backs of mirrors, and in extracting gold and silver from their ores. It is poisonous, and is used in medicine in the free state as in blue pill, and in its compounds as calomel, corrosive sublimate, etc. It is the only metal which is liquid at ordinary temperatures, and it solidifies at about -39° Centigrade to a soft, malleable, ductile metal.
3. (Astron.) One of the planets of the solar system, being the one nearest the sun, from which its mean distance is about 36,000,000 miles. Its period is 88 days, and its diameter 3,000 miles.
4. A carrier of tidings; a newsboy; a messenger; hence, also, a newspaper. Sir J. Stephen . "The monthly Mercuries ." Macaulay .
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.) A plant ( Mercurialis annua ), of the Spurge family, the leaves of which are sometimes used for spinach, in Europe.
&hand; 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 <Xpage=913>
Mer"cu*ry , v. t. To wash with a preparation of mercury. [Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Mercy <Xpage=913>
Mer"cy (?) , n. ; pl. Mercies (#) . [OE. merci , F. merci , L. merces , mercedis , hire, pay, reward, LL., equiv. to misericordia pity, mercy. L. merces is prob<?/ akin to merere 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.
4. A blessing regarded as a manifestation of compassion or favor.
The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 2 Cor. i. 3.
Mercy seat (Bib.) , the golden cover or lid of the Ark of the Covenant. See Ark , 2. -- Sisters of Mercy (R. C. Ch.) , a religious order founded in Dublin in the year 1827. Communities of the same name have since been established in various American cities. The duties of those belonging to the order are, to attend lying-in hospitals, to superintend the education of girls, and protect decent women out of employment, to visit prisoners and the sick, and to attend persons condemned to death. -- To be at the mercy of , to be wholly in the power of.
Syn. -- See Grace .
Merd <Xpage=913>
Merd (?) , n. [F. merde , L. merda .] Ordure; dung. [Obs.]
Burton.
-mere <Xpage=913>
-mere (?) . [Gr. <?/ part.] A combining form meaning part , portion ; as, blasto mere , epi mere .
Mere <Xpage=913>
Mere (?) , n. [Written also mar .] [OE. mere , AS. mere mere, sea; akin to D. meer lake, OS. meri sea, OHG. meri , mari , G. meer , Icel. marr , Goth. marei , Russ. more , W. mor , Ir. & Gael. muir , L. mare , and perh. to L. mori to die, and meaning originally, that which is dead, a waste. Cf. Mortal , Marine , Marsh , Mermaid , Moor .] A pool or lake.
Drayton. Tennyson.
Mere <Xpage=913>
Mere , n. [Written also meer and mear .] [AS. gem&aemac;re . &root;269.] A boundary.
Bacon.
<page="914"> Page 914
Mere <Xpage=914>
Mere (?) , v. t. To divide, limit, or bound. [Obs.]
Which meared her rule with Africa. Spenser.
Mere <Xpage=914>
Mere , n. A mare. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Mere <Xpage=914>
Mere (?) , a. [ Superl. Merest . The comparative is rarely or never used.] [L. merus .] 1. Unmixed; pure; entire; absolute; unqualified.
Then entered they the mere , main sea. Chapman.
The sorrows of this world would be mere and unmixed. Jer. Taylor.
2. Only this, and nothing else; such, and no more; simple; bare; as, a mere boy; a mere form.
From mere success nothing can be concluded in favor of any nation. Atterbury.
Merely <Xpage=914>
Mere"ly , adv. 1. Purely; unmixedly; absolutely.
Ulysses was to force forth his access, Though merely naked. Chapman.