# quicksilver

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkwɪkˌsɪlvɚ/ · frequency rank #34,656

## Definitions
1. The metal mercury.
2. An amalgam of mercury and tin applied to the backs of mirrors, quicksilvering.

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

## Common misspellings (17)
`qiucksilver`, `qquicksilver`, `quciksilver`, `quiccksilver`, `quickislver`, `quickksilver`, `quicksilevr`, `quicksillver`, `quicksilverr`, `quicksilvre`, `quicksilvver`, `quicksivler`, `quicksliver`, `quickssilver`, `quicskilver`, `quikcsilver`, `uqicksilver`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/quicksilver