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).
實(shí)用例句
1. There have been riots before and the situation is volatile.
以前曾發(fā)生過(guò)暴亂，現(xiàn)在局勢(shì)不太穩(wěn)定。
來(lái)自柯林斯例句
2. It's thought that the blast occurred when volatile chemicals exploded.
