Meanings
plural miniums
- 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 431 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
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- LatinMinius
- Latinminium
- Englishminium
Borrowed from Latin minium.
More words from Latin
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
minium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minium
“minium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minium. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “minium,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minium.
Source: minium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.