Etymology

plumbago

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Today it means: A plant of the genus Plumbago; leadwort. Full definition →

First used 17th c.Latin plumbāgō
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The story

  1. Latin · borrowed fromplumbāgō“type of lead ore”
  2. English todayplumbago

Borrowed from Latin plumbāgō (“type of lead ore”), from plumbum (“lead”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. A plant of the genus Plumbago; leadwort.
  • from 18th c. Graphite.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.