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

20 June 2025

MODEST

(adjective) marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself; “a modest apartment”; “too modest to wear his medals”


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Coffee Trivia

The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.

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