black lead

[ led ]

noun

, Mineralogy.

1. graphite; plumbago.

black lead

/ lɛd /

noun

1. See graphite
   another name for graphite

Word History and Origins

Origin of black lead¹

First recorded in 1575–85

Example Sentences

The superhero medium is so staid that temporary exposure to a black lead is considered groundbreaking.

From The Daily Beast

The most common solid employed as a lubricant is graphite, sometimes termed “plumbago” or “black lead.”

From Project Gutenberg

We roped in a good little second-rate black-lead firm, and carried their origins back into the mists of antiquity.

From Project Gutenberg

They are then colored with a mixture of red chalk, or black lead, applied with a sponge, to give the gold a dark color.

From Project Gutenberg

Provide a black-lead pencil that will not mark without pressing hard on the paper.

From Project Gutenberg

They may be made by wrapping copper wire around a black-lead pencil for a length of about three inches.

From Project Gutenberg