volatile

Main Entry:: ¹vol·a·tile
Pronunciation:: \ˈvä-lə-t^əl, especially British -ˌtī(-ə)l\
Function:: adjective
Etymology:: French, from Latin volatilis, from volare to fly
Date:: 1605

1: readily vaporizable at a relatively low temperature2: flying or having the power to fly3 a: lighthearted , lively b: easily aroused <volatile suspicions> c: tending to erupt into violence : explosive <a volatile temper>4 a: unable to hold the attention fixed because of an inherent lightness or fickleness of disposition b: characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change <a volatile market>5: difficult to capture or hold permanently : evanescent , transitory

— vol·a·tile·ness noun

— vol·a·til·i·ty

\ˌvä-lə-ˈti-lə-tē\ noun

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