litharge

American  

[lith-ahrj, li-thahrj] / ˈlɪθ ɑrdʒ, lɪˈθɑrdʒ /

noun

1. a yellowish or reddish, odorless, heavy, earthy, water-insoluble, poisonous solid, PbO, used chiefly in the manufacture of storage batteries, pottery, lead glass, paints, enamels, and inks.

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litharge British  

/ ˈlɪθɑːdʒ /

noun

1. another name for lead monoxide

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Etymology

Origin of litharge

1350–1400; earlier litarge, litharge, Middle English litarge < Middle French, apocopated variant of litargire < Latin lithargyrus < Greek lithárgyros spume of silver, equivalent to lith- lith- + árgyros silver

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

litharge

The lead from liquation would contain 2% to 3% of copper, and this would be largely recovered in these skimmings, although there would be some copper in the furnace bottoms—hearth-lead—and the litharge.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius

The litharge is drawn out on the other side through an aperture that is just wide enough for the master to creep through into the crucible.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius

From these two passages it would seem that molybdaena, a variety of litharge, might quite well be hearth-lead.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius

It is not, however, until the beginning of the Christian era that we get definite literary information, especially with regard to litharge, in Dioscorides and Pliny.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius

The "glass" mentioned as being melted with litharge, argols, nitre, etc., was no doubt the silver nitrate.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius