minium

M3I1N1I1U1M3
UK/ˈmɪnɪəm/

noun

Cinnabar, especially when used as a pigment; vermilion.

Similar
UncommonFirst used 14th c.Scrabble 10

Meanings

nounminium (usually uncountable, plural miniums)

plural miniums

  1. historicaluncountableusuallyCinnabar, especially when used as a pigment; vermilion.First known use 14th c.
  2. uncountableusuallyRed lead.First known use 17th c.

    The compounds formed by the combination of the peroxide of lead with the protoxide have received the general name of miniums, and are known in commerce as red lead.

    1861, Robert H. Lamborn, A rudimentary treatise on the Metallurgy of Silver and Lead, page 43
    1 more example

    [H]e was so overcome by suffering that his face, which had once been of oriental minium, now became like orpiment, and the hams of his lips turned into rancid lard.

    2007, Giambattista Basile, translated by Nancy L. Canepa, Tale of Tales, Penguin, page 29

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna reddish oxide of lead (Pb3O4) used as a pigment in paints and in glass and ceramics

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Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. LatinMinius
  2. Latinminium
  3. Englishminium

Borrowed from Latin minium.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek μίνιον
  • μίνιον (mínion)red lead
Bulgarian миниум
  • миниум (minium)red lead
Catalan mini
  • minired lead
Czech suřík
  • suříkred lead
Danish mønje
  • mønjered lead
Finnish mönjä
  • mönjäred lead
French minium
  • miniumred lead
German Minium
  • Miniumred lead
Greek ερυθρομόλυβδος, μίνιο
  • ερυθρομόλυβδος (erythromólyvdos)red lead
  • μίνιο (mínio)red lead
Hindi सीस सिंदूर
  • सीस सिंदूर (sīs sindūr)red lead
Indonesian minium, timah merah
  • miniumred lead
  • timah merahred lead
Italian minio
  • miniored lead
Latin minium
  • miniumred lead
Persian سرنج
  • سرنج (soranj)red lead
Portuguese mínio, zarcão
  • míniored lead
  • zarcãored lead
Romanian miniu
  • miniured lead
Russian су́рик
  • су́рик (súrik)red lead
Spanish tetróxido de plomo
  • tetróxido de plomored lead
Swedish mönja
  • mönjared lead
Tagalog minyo
  • minyored lead
Turkish sülyen
  • sülyenred lead
Cite this entry
APA

minium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minium

MLA

“minium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minium. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “minium,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minium.

Source: minium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.