From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordA name chiefly glossed as Quicksilver, with gold as another use.
- In the bookFida is the near-spelling counterpart: silver, sometimes gold.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 22; facsimile PDF page 350.
Historical definition
Fido is called Quicksilver, and sometimes gold.
Meaning
The entry permits two material identifications and leaves the conditions of usage unstated. Quicksilver comes first; gold is an occasional meaning. Preserve that order without treating it as a rule that excludes the second possibility.
Use in the book
Fida is the near-spelling counterpart: silver, sometimes gold. Discus solis instead gives a relationship, Quicksilver made from gold. The three entries consequently offer different kinds of information: alternative meanings and an attributed origin. A reader should not turn those relationships into one identity merely because the same metal names recur.
Places to read
- FidoRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- Discus solisQuicksilver described through a claimed origin in gold.
- FidaA metal name with two stated identifications.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 22; facsimile PDF page 350 — Facsimile