[ad. mod.L. volatilitas, f. L. volātilis VOLATILE a. Cf. F. volatilité (1641), It. volatilità, Sp. volatilidad, Pg. -idade.] The quality, state or condition of being volatile, in various senses.
1. Readiness to vaporize or evaporate, tendency to be readily diffused or dissipated in the atmosphere, especially at ordinary temperatures.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 294. Heat causeth the Spirits to search some Issue out of the Body, as in the Volatility of Metals.
1657. G. Starkey, Helmont’s Vind., 311. Essentiall or distilled Oyls,… by reason of their volatility, not abiding decoction, are with difficulty made into a Sapo.
1684–5. Boyle, Min. Waters, 29. Of the fixity or volatility of the Saline part in strong fires.
1718. Quincy, Compl. Disp., 7. By Spirit is understood the most fine and subtile Parts of Bodies, which is discoverable by its Volatility and Quickness to the Smell and Taste.
1757. Phil. Trans., L. 427. From one or more of which principles, I apprehend, the volatility or fixity of all minerals … takes its origin.
1800. trans. Lagrange’s Chem., II. 45. Ammonia warm has less action on zinc, on account, no doubt, of its volatility.
1857. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org., iii. 157. From its great volatility … it [sc. ether] is frequently employed for producing cold artificially.
1880. Mac Cormac, Antisept. Surg., 103. The volatility of the acid renders any but recently prepared gauze untrustworthy.
2. Tendency to lightness, levity or flightiness; lack of steadiness or seriousness.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., XI. ii. § 33. Those [recreations], which … must needs be preacted by the fancy (such the volatility thereof) all the day before.
a. 1700. Ken, Edmund, Poet. Wks. 1721, II. 78. Consideration … Fixes the Volatility of Thought, Till to itself the wandring Soul is brought.
1759. Johnson, Rasselas, xvi. Such sprightliness of air and volatility of fancy as might have suited beings of a higher order.
1792. A. Young, Trav. France, 279. Volatility and changeableness are attributed to the French as national characteristicks.
1811. Shelley, in Hogg, Life (1858), I. 379. Volatility of character evinces no capabilities for great affections.
1870. Emerson, Soc. & Solit., viii. 171. The imagination infuses a certain volatility and intoxication.
1871. Mozley, Univ. Serm., vi. 132. The inner life of man is a struggle with volatility and disorder.
3. Adaptability for flight. Also fig.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., ix. (1724), 212. [The soul must] be capable of mounting upwards, in proportion to the volatility of its vehicle.
1841. Syd. Smith, in Lady Holland, Mem. (1855), I. 125. The volatility of the butterfly.
4. Capacity for ready or rapid movement. rare–1.
1797. Monthly Mag., III. 226. Musical pretensions … are so much more calculated to promote unmeaning volatility of finger, than grace, taste, or expression.
Hence Volatilityship [-SHIP 3 b], used to designate a volatile person. rare.
1771. P. Parsons, Newmarket, II. 134. I repeat my wishes that this may come to the hands of your volatilityship.
