black lead en · NOUN
Etymology
In the sense of lead, calque of Latin plumbum nigrum (“lead”, literally “black lead”).
Meanings
- (countable, historical, uncountable) The metal lead.
- (countable, uncountable) Graphite, especially as used in pencils.
- (countable) A graphite pencil.
-
(countable, historical, uncountable) A type of polish made from graphite, used for kitchen cleaning and blackening grates.
She always washed without soap: there were no hearth-stones nor black-lead dust for the stoves; nor a cake of whitening for the kitchen-grate […].
1828, JT Smith, Nollekens and His Times, Century Hutchinson, published 1986, page 271:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| black leads | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| blacklead | alternative | lexicographic | |
| black-lead | alternative | lexicographic |