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Adjective: volatile  'vó-lu-t(u)l [N. Amer], 'vó-lu,tI(-u)l [Brit]
  1. Liable to lead to sudden change or violence
    "a volatile situation with troops and rioters eager for a confrontation";
    - explosive
     
  2. Marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments
    "a flirt's volatile affections";
    - fickle
     
  3. Tending to vary often or widely
    "volatile stocks"; "volatile emotions"
     
  4. (chemistry) evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures
    "volatile oils"; "volatile solvents"
Noun: volatile  'vó-lu-t(u)l [N. Amer], 'vó-lu,tI(-u)l [Brit]
  1. A volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapour
    "it was heated to evaporate the volatiles"

Derived forms: volatiles

See also: changeable, changeful, evaporable, inconstant, unstable, vaporific, vaporisable [Brit], vaporizable, vapourific [Brit, Cdn], vapourisable [Brit], volatilisable [Brit], volatilizable

Type of: substance

Antonym: nonvolatilizable

Encyclopedia: Volatile