http://xination.pixnet.net/blog/post/24047100
mercurial
mercury(水銀)-al
adj.易變的(用來指情緒上的易變) [changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic]
ex. My girlfriend has a mercurial mood.
ps. 這個字意是來自於Shakespeare 所創的一個角色 Mercutio《羅密歐與茱麗葉》
adj.敏捷的;精明的 [animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.]
ps.這個字意來自於羅馬的神--水星，有著swiftness, eloquence, shrewdness 的性質。
整理
Fickle implies an underlying perversity as a cause for the lack of stability /* fickle and tickle*/
ficle 是因為某種乖僻、剛愎甚至是性變態的緣故，而導致的易變。
Capricious implies unpredictable changeability arising from sudden whim: /* caprice 是隨想曲*/
capricious也是指易變，而且暗指著突然、未預期的變化。
Vacillating means changeable due to lack of resolution or firmness
vacillating是指的因為不穩固、缺乏決心而異變
meretricious
meretrix(prostitute;妓女)-i-ous
adj.娼妓的 [Of or relating to prostitutes(娼妓) or prostitution]
adj. [Attracting attention in a vulgar manner]
字源：L. meretri-x = mere (s of mere-re to earn)+ tri-x (代表陰性的字綴)
meretrix的意含就是賺錢的女人
merit
n.優點[A quality deserving praise or approval]
ex. People may not like her, but she has her merits.
人們也許不喜歡她,但她也有她的優點
v.值得 [To be worthy or deserving]
ex. History affords us lessons that merit attention.
歷史給我們提供了值得注意的借鑑。
merited
mertit-ed
adj.值得的
ex. merited reward
受之無愧的獎賞
merited <> gratuitous adj.無理由的
meritorious
merit-tory-ous
adj.值得稱讚的 [deserving praise, reward, esteem, etc.; praiseworthy]
ex. a meritorious public servant
mesa
n.高臺地、平頂山 [ A broad, flat-topped elevation with one or more clifflike sides, common in the southwest United States.]
字源：在Spanish中 mesa 指的是table的意思
mesh
n.網線 [Any of the open spaces in a net or network]
ex. a mesh small enough to exclude tiny insects.
v.使纏住 [To catch in or as if in a net; ensnare.]
n.齒輪咬合 [The engagement of gear teeth.]
v.齒輪咬合 [To become engaged or interlocked]
ex. gears that are not meshing properly.
c.f
mash n.糊狀物 v.把...搗成糊狀
mesh
mesh <> disengage
metabolism
meta(change)-bol-ism
n.新陳代謝 [The chemical processes occurring within a living cell or organism that are necessary for the maintenance of life. In metabolism some substances are broken down to yield energy for vital processes while other substances, necessary for life, are synthesized.]
簡單的說，就是一堆化學過程，可以產生energy來提供生物生存。
(有個閱讀的考古題在討論恐龍的 metabolism)
字首meta-是從希臘來的，有主要是「after」,「beyond」,「change」的意思
metamorphose
meta(change)-morph(form, structure)-ose
v.蛻變, 變形 [To change into a wholly different form or appearance; transform]
ex. A larva metamorphose into a chrysalis and then into a butterfly.
幼蟲變為蛹，然後再變成蝴蝶。
字源：是由 metamorphosis組回去的字型 [meta-morph-osis(字尾)] n. 蛻變, 變形
morph
是由希臘神話中的Greek god of dreams and sleep--Morpheus而來的，Morpheus has the ability to take any human's form and appear in dreams
「墜入夢鄉」的英文即是「in the arms of Morpheus」。
ps. 在駭客任務中 Morpheus 莫斐斯，是飛行船Nebuchadnezzar（尼布甲尼撒）的艦長。這艘船以巴比倫王Nebuchadnezzar命名，此王兩度攻擊猶太王國，並將猶太人帶回巴比倫。劇中Nebuchadnezzar負責從The Matrix中解放人類，將人類帶回「現實」
metaphor
meta(change)-phor(帶有,bearer )
n.隱喻 [A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison]
ps. 簡單的來說，就是把兩者不可能相等的事物，拿來做類比。
ex. a sea of troubles
ex. All the world is a stage
ps.1 metaphor vs simile 見p.202的說明
metaphysics
meta(beyond)-physics
n.形而上學
ps.是哲學的一枝，比方說討論心靈與物質間的關係、存在的問題。
字的構成概念就是，在物理之後、之上的學問。
philosophy:metaphysics
形而上學是一種哲學
metaphysical
meta(after)-physic-al
adj.形而上學的 [pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics.]
mete
v.分配 [to distribute or apportion by measure]
ex. mete out rewards and punishments.
有賞有罰。
n.邊界 [A boundary line; a limit.]
字源： mete跟meter n.計量器、韻律、公尺是有關的
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