white lead

== English == === Alternative forms === whitelead === Etymology === In the tin sense, a calque of Latin plumbum album (literally “white lead”), a term already in use before our era, for tin and lead were not yet properly distinguished prior to modern times. Compare Latin plumbum candidum (literally “shining-white lead”) and Arabic رَصَاص أَبْيَض (raṣāṣ ʔabyaḍ, “white lead”), both of which were also used to mean “tin” and to distinguish it from lead proper, called “black lead” (plumbum nigrum; رَصَاص أَسْوَد (raṣāṣ ʔaswad)) in those ancient tongues. === Pronunciation === === Noun === white lead (uncountable) (obsolete) Tin, golden marcasite. A basic lead carbonate, particularly (historical) as once widely used for white paint, whitening cosmetics, and early medicine. Synonyms: lead white, flake white, silver white, slate white, ceruse, Venetian ceruse, Venetian white, (historical, derogatory) white poison 2021, Judith Rainhorn, The Colour of Controversy..., p. 4: Such eminent and renowned scientists as Fourcroy, Berthollet and Vauquelin all enthusiastically supported zinc white, the defects of which "are so slight compared to the disadvantages of using white lead, that its adoption cannot be reasonably refused." ==== Hyponyms ==== Berlin white, China white, French white, Krems white, Kremnitz white, Nottingham white, Vienna white (especially pure white lead paint) ==== Coordinate terms ==== cerussite (white lead ore) red lead (another lead mineral used as a pigment) titanium dioxide, zinc oxide (other mineral sources of white pigment) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ====