Red Lead
/ˌrɛd ˈlɛd/noun
A bright red lead oxide pigment, chiefly lead tetroxide (Pb₃O₄), also called minium.
Did you know?Medieval illuminators used red lead, or minium, in manuscripts; its name helped inspire the term “miniature,” originally referring to a picture painted with minium.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁reudh-
“Red or ruddy; the ancient root behind the color word red and distant relatives such as ruby and rust.”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*raudaz
“Red; the reconstructed Germanic ancestor of English red.”
Old English
Old English
rēad
“Red, ruddy, or having the color of blood or fire.”
Old English
Old English
lēad
“Lead, the soft, heavy metal; the word’s deeper Germanic origin is uncertain.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
minium
“Red lead pigment, used especially in manuscript decoration.”
17th Century
English
red lead
“A compound pigment name for the vivid red oxide of lead.”
Modern English
English
red lead
“Lead tetroxide, used historically as a pigment and industrial coating, though highly toxic.”