red lead

[ led ]

/ lɛd /

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.

Nearby words

red jungle fowl, red kangaroo, red kowhai, red label, red larkspur, red lead, red light, red liquor, red maids, red man, red maple

Compare litharge.

Origin of red lead

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Also called minium.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for red lead

Faure improved it somewhat by coating the lead plates with red-lead, thus increasing the capacity of the cell.
A History of Science, Volume 3(of 5)|Henry Smith Williams
A finely powdered mixture of red-lead and sulphur is dusted through a sieve over the cooling crystal.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7|Various
“Hæc fabula docet,” wrote Flaxius as he revised the proof with a red-lead pencil, for which he had paid a penny in the Calzolaio.
Legends of Florence|Charles Godfrey Leland
Only after a long search were a few fragments found with traces of red-lead ore.
The Former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes|Toms de Comyn

Perhaps the most interesting experiment made by Hales is the heating of minium (red-lead) with the production of oxygen.
Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists|Various

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

red lead

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of red lead

Examples from the Web for red lead

British Dictionary definitions for red lead

red lead

noun