VOLATILE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does volatile mean? 

• VOLATILE (noun)
  The noun VOLATILE has 1 sense:

1. a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor

  Familiarity information: VOLATILE used as a noun is very rare.

• VOLATILE (adjective)
  The adjective VOLATILE has 4 senses:

1. evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures

2. liable to lead to sudden change or violence

3. marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments

4. tending to vary often or widely

  Familiarity information: VOLATILE used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VOLATILE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Context example:

it was heated to evaporate the volatiles

Hypernyms ("volatile" is a kind of...):

substance (the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists)

Derivation:

volatile (evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures)

• VOLATILE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures

Context example:

volatile solvents

Similar:

evaporable; vaporific; vaporizable; vapourific; vapourisable; volatilisable; volatilizable ((used of substances) capable of being volatilized)

Also:

inconstant (likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Antonym:

nonvolatile (not volatilizing readily)

Derivation:

volatile (a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor)

volatility (the property of changing readily from a solid or liquid to a vapor)

volatilize (make volatile; cause to pass off in a vapor)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Liable to lead to sudden change or violence

Synonyms:

explosive; volatile

Context example:

a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation

Similar:

unstable (lacking stability or fixity or firmness)

Derivation:

volatility (being easily excited)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments

Synonyms:

fickle; volatile

Context example:

a flirt's volatile affections

Similar:

inconstant (likely to change frequently often without apparent or cogent reason; variable)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Tending to vary often or widely

Context example:

volatile emotions

Similar:

changeable; changeful (such that alteration is possible; having a marked tendency to change)

Derivation:

volatility (the trait of being unpredictably irresolute)

 Context examples 

A volatile liquid prepared by fermentation of certain carbohydrates.

(Alcohol, NCI Thesaurus)

Angelica sinensis contains volatile oils, including safrole, isosafrole, and n-butylphthalide; coumarin derivatives, including psoralens, bergapten, osthol, imperatorin, and oxypeucedanin; and ferulic acid.

(Angelica Sinensis Root Extract, NCI Thesaurus)

A clear, colorless, highly flammable and volatile, liquid aromatic hydrocarbon with a gasoline-like odor.

(Benzene, NCI Thesaurus)

Triton is slightly larger than Pluto, has a very similar internal density and bulk composition, and has the same low-temperature volatiles frozen on its surface.

(Voyager Map Details Neptune's Strange Moon Triton, NASA)

Another idea is to import volatiles by redirecting comets and asteroids to hit Mars.

(Mars Terraforming Not Possible Using Present-Day Technology, NASA)

As it turned out, modern tomatoes lack sufficient sugars and volatile chemicals critical to better flavor.

(Scientists develop genetic path to tastier tomatoes, NSF)

The gene influences fruit flavor by catalyzing the biosynthesis of a number of lipid (fat)-involved volatiles—compounds that evaporate easily and contribute to aroma.

(Tomato Pan-Genome Makes Bringing Flavor Back Easier, Agricultural Research Service)

The experiments indicate that the pattern of volatile element depletion in the Earth was established by reaction between molten rock and an oxygen-poor atmosphere.

(Fiery Collisions That Gave Birth to Earth Could Have Evaporated 40% of Our World, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A clear, colorless, volatile and very stable chlorinated hydrocarbon.

(Carbon Tetrachloride, NCI Thesaurus)

A clear, colorless, highly volatile and flammable liquid chlorinated hydrocarbon that emits highly toxic fumes of hydrochloric acid and other chlorinated compounds when heated to decomposition.

(Dimethylvinyl Chloride, NCI Thesaurus)