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Glite Dictionary
orpiment

orpiment

1 9.9
A bright yellow mineral that contains arsenic and is used for paint and as a source of arsenic
  • noun
  • /ˈɔːrpɪmənt/
  • Specialized
: orpimento
  • Polke paints with currently discarded pigments that are poisons: orpiment, Schweinfurt

Examples

  • In historical texts, orpiment is described as a valuable ore for extracting arsenic.

  • The artist favored orpiment for its bright yellow hue in his paintings.

  • And what about orpiment?

    Fiction book (1992)

  • "What about orpiment?

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He also removed hair with orpiment and could enamel fingernails.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Athanor yields brimstone and orpiment decocted from the bowels of the unclean.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • By recourse to vitriol and salammoniac with eggshell orpiment, we have sought the Stone which achieves consummation through putrefaction.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Orpiment is often found in nature alongside realgar, creating a striking contrast.

Surface Forms

orpiment singular
orpiments plural

Etymology

Orpiment comes from the old Latin name auripigmentum, which means 'gold' + 'pigment' because the mineral has a bright golden-yellow colour. That's why artists once used orpiment as a yellow paint, but it contains arsenic so it must be handled with care.