Dictionary.com

plumbago

[ pluhm-bey-goh ]
/ plʌmˈbeɪ goʊ /
Save This Word!

noun, plural plum·ba·gos.

graphite.
a drawing made by an instrument with a lead point.

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
The Sunflower State
The Evergreen State
The Magnolia State
The Mockingbird State
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of plumbago

1595–1605; <Latin plumbāgō, translation of Greek molýbdaina lead ore, derivative of mólybdos lead

Words nearby plumbago

plumage, plumate, plumb, plumbaginaceous, plumbaginous, plumbago, plumb bob, plumbeous, plumber, plumber's helper, plumber's snake
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for plumbago

British Dictionary definitions for plumbago

plumbago
/ (plʌmˈbeɪɡəʊ) /

noun plural -gos

any plumbaginaceous plant of the genus Plumbago, of warm regions, having clusters of blue, white, or red flowersSee also leadwort
another name for graphite

Word Origin for plumbago

C17: from Latin: lead ore, leadwort, translation of Greek polubdaina lead ore, from polubdos lead
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Tired of Typos? Get Help Now!