red lead

[ led ]

/ lɛd /

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noun

an orange to red, heavy, earthy, water-insoluble, poisonous powder, Pb3O4, obtained by heating litharge in the presence of air: used chiefly as a paint pigment, in the manufacture of glass and glazes, and in storage batteries.

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Also called minium.

Compare litharge.

Origin of red lead

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Words nearby red lead

red kangaroo, red kowhai, red label, Redlands, red larkspur, red lead, red-lead ore, red-lead putty, Redleg, redlegged grasshopper, red-legged partridge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use red lead in a sentence

Former Red Sox star Curt Schilling says his politics are keeping him out of Cooperstown.
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame|Ben Jacobs|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Such is her burgeoning popularity Toomey is looking to employ more instructors to lead her highly personalized exercise classes.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Nor does the jet have the ability to capture high-definition video, utilize an infra-red pointer.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There was deep brown flesh, and bronze flesh, and pallid white flesh, and flesh turned red from the hot sun.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

A Republican candidate hoping to win red state support could find a worse team to root for than one from Dallas.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Beginners must be warned against mistaking the edges of cells, or particles which have retained the red stain, for bacilli.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Under the internal pressure his whiskers stood on end and his face grew red.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
These differences of interests will lead to disputes, ill blood, and finally to separation.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
“You appear to feel it so,” rejoined Mr. Pickwick, smiling at the clerk, who was literally red-hot.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
Ripperda's eye fell upon the mantle,—it was discoloured a dark red in many places, he nodded his head, and the man withdrew.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for red lead

red lead

/ (lɛd) /

noun

a bright-red poisonous insoluble oxide of lead usually obtained as a powder by heating litharge in air. It is used as a pigment in paints. Formula: Pb 3 O 4Also called: minium

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