Volatile

adjective
1.
evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor:
Acetone is a volatile solvent.
2.
tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive:
a volatile political situation.
3.
changeable; mercurial; flighty:
a volatile disposition.
4.
(of prices, values, etc.) tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly:
volatile market conditions.
5.
fleeting; transient:
volatile beauty.
6.
Computers. of or relating to storage that does not retain data when electrical power is turned off or fails.
7.
able to fly or flying.
noun
8.
a volatile substance, as a gas or solvent.
adjective
1.
(of a substance) capable of readily changing from a solid or liquid form to a vapour; having a high vapour pressure and a low boiling point
2.
(of persons) disposed to caprice or inconstancy; fickle; mercurial
3.
(of circumstances) liable to sudden, unpredictable, or explosive change
4.
lasting only a short time: volatile business interests
5.
(computing) (of a memory) not retaining stored information when the power supply is cut off
6.
(obsolete) flying or capable of flight; volant
noun
7.
a volatile substance
8.
(rare) a winged creature

volatile 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.

volatile
(vŏl’ə-tl)
Changing easily from liquid to vapor at normal temperatures and pressures. Essential oils used in perfumes are highly volatile.

1. volatile variable.
2. See non-volatile storage.
(1997-06-05)