volatile

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KatyBr
Wordmaster
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Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:28 pm

volatile

Postby KatyBr » Sat Jun 25, 2005 4:45 pm

The term given to a substance that is easily converted to the gas state.
vol·a·tile (vŏl'ə-tl, -tīl')
adj.
Chemistry.
Evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures.
That can be readily vaporized.

Tending to vary often or widely, as in price: the ups and downs of volatile stocks.
Inconstant; fickle: a flirt's volatile affections.
Lighthearted; flighty: in a volatile mood.
Ephemeral; fleeting.
Tending to violence; explosive: a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation.
Flying or capable of flying; volant.
[French, from Old French, from Latin volātilis, flying, from volātus, past participle of volāre, to fly.]

vol'a·tile n.
vol'a·til'i·ty (-tĭl'ĭ-tē) or vol'a·tile·ness (-tl-nĭs, -tīl'-) n.



Thesaurus
volatile

adjective

Following no predictable pattern: capricious, changeable, erratic, fantastic, fantastical, fickle, freakish, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, temperamental, ticklish, uncertain, unpredictable, unstable, unsteady, variable, whimsical. See change/persist, continue/stop/pause.
Technology
volatile
With regard to computer memory, it means "temporary" and not "highly changeable," which is the usual meaning of the word. See volatile memory.




Medical
vol·a·tile (vŏl'ə-tl, -tīl')
adj.
Evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures.
That can be readily vaporized.
Tending to violence; explosive, as of behavior.



Wine Glossary
volatile
A tasting term for wine with the sharp vinegary taste that comes from spoilage or imbalance due to excessive volatile acidity.







WordNet
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The noun volatile has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor





The adjective volatile has 4 meanings:

Meaning #1: (chemistry) evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures
Antonym: nonvolatile (meaning #1)


Meaning #2: liable to lead to sudden change or violence
Synonym: explosive


Meaning #3: marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments
Synonym: fickle


Meaning #4: tending to vary often or widely






Translations
Translations for: Volatile
Nederlands (Dutch)
vluchtig, vervliegend, explosief (figuurlijk), voorbijgaand, levendig, makkelijk opgewekt, wispelturig, veranderlijk, vervliegende stof

Français (French)
volatil


Deutsch (German)
adj. - flüchtig, volatil, unbeständig, sprunghaft
n. - Flüchtigkeit


Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. (χημ.) πτητικός, ευκολοεξάτμιστος, επιπόλαιος, ασταθής, ευμετάβλητος

Italiano (Italian)
volatile


Português (Portuguese)
adj. - volátil, passageiro


Русский (Russian)
летучий, непостоянный, веселый, критический

Español (Spanish)
adj. - volátil, fugaz, explosivo
n. - volátil


Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - flyktig, livlig, ombytlig


http://www.answers.com/topic/volatile
So can an often angry person be called -gassy?


Katy

William
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2005 6:48 pm

Postby William » Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:13 pm

An often angry person is said to have issues.....(of gas?)

William

KatyBr
Wordmaster
Posts: 959
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:28 pm

Postby KatyBr » Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:49 pm

Well, William that certainly would be an issue wouldn't it? :O :lol:

Katy

tcward
Wordmaster
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Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:18 pm
Location: The Old North State

Postby tcward » Sat Jun 25, 2005 11:03 pm

Is that why we call angry old men old farts...?

-Tim :shock:

William
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2005 6:48 pm

Postby William » Mon Jun 27, 2005 2:55 pm

Is that why we call angry old men old farts...?
Yes.

Stargzer
Great Grand Panjandrum
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Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:56 pm
Location: Crownsville, MD

Postby Stargzer » Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:07 am

Regards//Larry

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee


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