DiotimosReading Desk

Metals minerals and metallic preparations

Volans

Two names directly equated with quicksilver.

From the book

A Chymical Dictionary

Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Browse this book’s lexicon →

Orientation

At a Glance

  • The wordTwo names directly equated with quicksilver.
  • In the bookVolatile follows with a general definition of light matter carried upward.
  • A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 47; facsimile PDF page 375.

Historical definition

Volans or Vnquasi is quicksilver.

Meaning

The local definition identifies the named material. It does not use Volans merely as an adjective for every upward-moving substance.

Use in the book

Volatile follows with a general definition of light matter carried upward. The similarity is useful for comparison, but the compiler assigns a specific material to Volans and a broader property to Volatile.

Places to read

  1. VolansRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
  2. SibarA historical name for quicksilver.
  3. VolatileA general upward-moving or upward-carried condition of light matter.
  4. ZaidarA direct mercury synonym.

Source note

Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 47; facsimile PDF page 375 — Facsimile

Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Volans; 1650 facsimile PDF p. 375; compare Sibar, Volatile, Zaidar