Mercurial vs Eccentric - What's the difference?
mercurial | eccentric | Related terms |
(obsolete) Any of the plants known as mercury.
(astrology) Someone born under the influence of Mercury.
(often capitalized, see (Mercurial)) Pertaining to the planet Mercury.
(often capitalized, see (Mercurial)) Pertaining to the Roman god Mercury, the god of trade; hence, money-making; crafty..
* J. Q. Adams
(astrology) Born under the influence of the planet Mercury, and having such characteristics.
Of, or pertaining to the element mercury; containing mercury; caused by the action of mercury or quicksilver.
Having a volatile or lively character; quick-witted, changeable, animated.
* 1723 , Charles Walker, Memoirs of Sally Salisbury , I:
Not at or in the centre; away from the centre.
* 2011 , Michael Laver, Ernest Sergenti. Party Competition: An Agent-Based Model ,
Not perfectly circular; elliptical.
Having a different center; not concentric.
(of a person) deviating from the norm; behaving unexpectedly or differently.
* 1801', Author not named, ''Fyfield (John)'', entry in '''''Eccentric Biography; Or, Sketches of Remarkable Characters, Ancient and Modern ,
* 1807', G. H. Wilson (editor), ''The '''Eccentric Mirror , Volume 3,
* 1956 , , The City and the Stars , 2012,
(physiology, of a motion) Against or in the opposite direction of contraction of a muscle (e.g., such as results from flexion of the lower arm (bending of the elbow joint) by an external force while contracting the triceps and other elbow extensor muscles to control that movement; opening of the jaw while flexing the masseter).
Having different goals or motives.
* , 1867 , Richard Whately (analysis and notes), James R. Boyd (editor), Essay XI: Wisdom for a Man's Self'', ''Lord Bacon's Essays ,
One who does not behave like others.
* 1998 , Michael Gross, Life On The Edge , 2001,
A disk or wheel with its axis off centre, giving a reciprocating motion.
* 1840 , Dionysius Lardner, The Steam Engine Explained and Illustrated ,
* 1994 , James M. Lattis, Between Copernicus and Galileo: Christoph Clavius and the Collapse of Ptolemaic Cosmology ,
* 2007 , George Saliba, Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance ,
(slang) A kook.
As nouns the difference between mercurial and eccentric
is that mercurial is any of the plants known as mercury while eccentric is one who does not behave like others.As adjectives the difference between mercurial and eccentric
is that mercurial is (often capitalized, see {{term|Mercurial}}) Pertaining to the planet Mercury while eccentric is not at or in the centre; away from the centre.mercurial
English
Noun
(en noun)Adjective
(en adjective)- the mercurial wand of commerce
- From the natural Mercurial Briskness of her Temper, a sedentary Life had ever been her Aversion [...].
Derived terms
* mercurial eczema * mercurial glossitis * mercurial ointment * mercurial phosphorus * mercurial pneumatic trough * mercurial rash * mercurial trough * mercurialisation, mercurialization * mercurialise, mercurialize * mercurialism * mercurialist * mercuriality * mercurially * organomercurialeccentric
English
Alternative forms
* eccentrick (obsolete) * excentric * excentrick (obsolete)Adjective
(en adjective)page 125,
- Strikingly, we see that party births tend systematically to be at policy positions that are significantly more eccentric than those of surviving parties, whatever decision rule these parties use.
- As of 2008, Margaret had the most eccentric orbit of any moon in the solar system, though Nereid's mean eccentricity is greater.
page 127,
- He was a man of a most eccentric turn of mind, and great singularity of conduct.
page 17,
- Such is not the case with Mr. Martin Van Butchell, one of the most eccentric characters to be found in the British metropolis, and a gentleman of indisputable science and abilities, but whose strange humors and extraordinary habits, have rather tended to obscure than to display the talents he possessed.
unnumbered page,
- Khedron was the only other person in the city who could be called eccentric —and even his eccentricity had been planned by the designers of Diaspar.
page 171,
- .
Usage notes
* . See also (Isometric exercise)Synonyms
* (not at or in the centre) eccentrical, excentrical * (not perfectly circular) eccentrical, excentrical * (having a different centre) eccentrical, excentrical * (deviating from the norm) eccentrical, excentrical, odd, abnormal * (against the contraction of a muscle) * (having different goals or motives) eccentrical, excentricalAntonyms
* (against the contraction of a muscle) concentricDerived terms
* eccentricallyNoun
(en noun)page ix,
- Eccentrics live longer, happier, and healthier lives than conformist normal citizens, according to the neuropsychologist David Weeks.
page 379,
- The position of the eccentrics' which is necessary to make the pistons drive the engine forward must be directly the reverse of that which would cause them to drive the engine backwards. To be able, therefore, to reverse the motion of the engine, it would only be necessary to be able to reverse the position of the ' eccentrics , which may be accomplished by either of two expedients.
page 116,
- Clavius goes on to use the large number of orbs in Fracostoro's theory as another reason to prefer the Ptolemaic system, then couples this issue with that of the relative capacity of the theories to save the phenomena, then finally reiterates the lack (as he sees it) of conflict between the Aristotelian natural philosophy and the eccentrics and epicycles of mathematical astronomy.
page 120,
- The discussion that revolved around the admissibility of eccentrics' and epicycles lied(sic) at the core of this theoretical discussion, and those who would not allow such concepts took the position that such ' eccentrics and epicycles would then introduce a center of heaviness, other than the Earth, around which celestial simple objects would then move.
