red lead
1
9.1
- noun
- /rɛd lɛd/
- Specialized
:
plomo rojo
- Well, we were asked by the foreman to paint over every spot of rust with a red lead mixture.
- red lead pigment
Examples
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Vermilion red lead will turn black on exposure to light.
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She explained that red lead was a common choice for creating bright, long-lasting colors in ceramics.
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Now if you watch, I'm going to put the red lead on this bit here.
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So again, we're going to do the black lead to the source and the red lead to the drain.
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The red lead pigment in this hat was identified using microscopy.
Academic text (2003) -
Harrington also discovered a red lead coating on structural steel in the second treatment unit that would require special attention.
Academic text (1997) -
Plant fiber, cloth, red lead pigment; 15cm x 45.3cm x 45.3cm (6" x 17 3/4" x 17 3/4") Museum purchase.
Academic text (2009) -
Red lead pigment, bast fiber, cloth; diameter 45.3 cm (38.2 ").
Academic text (2003) -
The artist used red lead pigment to enhance the vibrancy of his painting.
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To protect the metal surfaces, they applied a coat of red lead paint before the final finish.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A bright red or orange-red powder made from lead used to colour paint, glass, and pottery
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally built from 'red' (a colour) and 'lead' (the metal), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a red form or red-coloured substance made of/containing lead, commonly used as a pigment. The specific chemical name (lead tetroxide) is specialized, but the basic colour+material meaning is a straightforward, cross-linguistically familiar pattern for B1 learners.
Etymology
The noun red lead comes from a simple, literal idea: it was a bright red powder made from the metal lead, used by artists and metalworkers. So today red lead means 'a bright red powder used in paint and to protect metal from rust'.