1590s "fine or light," also "evaporating rapidly" (c. 1600), from Middle French volatile, from Latin volatilis "fleeting, transitory; swift, rapid; flying, winged," from past participle stem of volare "to fly" (see volant). Sense of "readily changing, flighty, fickle" is first recorded 1640s. Volatiles in Middle English meant "birds, butterflies, and other winged creatures" (c. 1300).
雙語例句
1. There have been riots before and the situation is volatile.
以前曾發(fā)生過暴亂,現(xiàn)在局勢不太穩(wěn)定。
來自柯林斯例句
2. It's thought that the blast occurred when volatile chemicals exploded.