MINIUM

Etymology

Noun

minium (uncountable)

(now historical) Cinnabar, especially when used as a pigment; vermilion. [from 14th c.]

Red lead. [from 17th c.]

Source: Wiktionary


Min"i*um, n. Etym: [L. minium, an Iberian word, the Romans getting all their cinnabar from Spain; cf. Basque armineá.] (Chem.)

Definition: A heavy, brilliant red pigment, consisting of an oxide of lead, Pb3O4, obtained by exposing lead or massicot to a gentle and continued heat in the air. It is used as a cement, as a paint, and in the manufacture of flint glass. Called also red lead.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

10 May 2025

BEATIFY

(verb) declare (a dead person) to be blessed; the first step of achieving sainthood; “On Sunday, the martyr will be beatified by the Vatican”


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Coffee Trivia

The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.

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