painter's colic

9.9

A condition of severe stomach pain and long-lasting constipation caused by lead poisoning

noun
/ˈpeɪntərz ˈkɒlɪk/

Archaic

: cólico del pintor

Doctors eventually identified painter's colic as being caused by the ingestion of lead-based paint.

Examples

In the 19th century, painter's colic was a common occupational hazard for decorators and artists.
The symptoms of painter's colic include severe abdominal pain and persistent constipation due to chronic lead exposure.
Many artists suffer from painter's colic due to lead exposure.
Have you ever heard of painter's colic?
Working with lead paint can lead to symptoms of painter's colic, including severe constipation and abdominal pain.
He suffered from painter's colic after years of exposure to lead in the paint he used for his artwork.
To prevent painter's colic, artists must take care to use protective gear and maintain a clean workspace.

Synonyms

lead poisoning

vspainter's colic

Specialized

9 3.9

A condition that happens when too much lead gets into the body and makes you sick

is a narrower chronic workplace form marked by severe abdominal symptoms

lead colic

vspainter's colic

Archaic

9.9

Severe belly pain and constipation caused by long term lead poisoning

is a specific chronic form often seen in workers with repeated exposure

saturnism

vspainter's colic

Specialized

9.9

A sickness you get from having too much lead in your body

is broader describing general systemic poisoning rather than mainly abdominal symptoms

plumbism

vspainter's colic

Specialized

9.9

Poisoning that happens when too much lead builds up in the body

is the same general toxicity but focuses on persistent abdominal symptoms

Antonyms

health

∞ 1.0

The condition of a person's body and mind, especially being free from illness or injury

Surface Forms

painter's colic singular

painter's colics plural

Morphology

painter's + colic

The compound reads literally as a type of 'colic' (abdominal pain) associated with 'painters', so a B1 learner who knows both words would infer it denotes abdominal pain affecting painters. However, the full clinical meaning — that it specifically refers to chronic lead poisoning with constipation and other systemic symptoms — is a specialized inference not predictable from the constituents, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Painter's colic comes from the old fact that painters often swallowed or breathed lead from their paint while they worked, and the lead made them very sick. The parts painter's (the worker) and colic (very bad belly pain) show why the phrase came to mean 'a kind of lead poisoning that causes strong belly pain and constipation'.