pencil lead

noun

The material (usually black or dark gray) which allows a pencil to work. Usually a mixture of graphite and smaller amounts of other material, but not actual lead.

Similar
lead
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Meanings

nounpencil lead (countable and uncountable, plural pencil leads)

plural pencil leads

  1. countableuncountableThe material (usually black or dark gray) which allows a pencil to work. Usually a mixture of graphite and smaller amounts of other material, but not actual lead.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounmixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil

Similar
lead
Broader
graphiteblack leadplumbago
Also see
lead

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian графит
  • графит (grafit)graphite refill for writing tool
Chinese Cantonese 筆芯 /笔芯, 筆鉛 /笔铅
  • 筆芯 /笔芯 (bat¹ sam¹)graphite refill for writing tool
  • 筆鉛 /笔铅 (bat¹ jyun⁴)graphite refill for writing tool
Chinese Mandarin 筆芯 /笔芯, 筆鉛 /笔铅
  • 筆芯 /笔芯 (bǐxīn)graphite refill for writing tool
  • 筆鉛 /笔铅 (bǐqiān)graphite refill for writing tool
  • 鉛筆鉛 /铅笔铅 (qiānbǐqiān)graphite refill for writing tool
Dutch stift
  • stiftgraphite refill for writing tool
Finnish lyijykynän lyijy, lyijy
  • lyijykynän lyijygraphite refill for writing tool
  • lyijygraphite refill for writing tool
French mine
  • minegraphite refill for writing tool
German Mine
  • Minegraphite refill for writing tool
Irish luaidhe
  • luaidhegraphite refill for writing tool
Italian mina
  • minagraphite refill for writing tool
Japanese 鉛筆の芯
  • 鉛筆の芯graphite refill for writing tool
Korean 연필심
  • 연필심 (yeonpilsim)graphite refill for writing tool
Polish grafit do ołówka
  • grafit do ołówkagraphite refill for writing tool
Punjabi ਸਿੱਕਾ
  • ਸਿੱਕਾ (sikkā)graphite refill for writing tool
Russian графи́т, гри́фель
  • графи́т (grafít)graphite refill for writing tool
  • гри́фель (grífelʹ)graphite refill for writing tool
Spanish mina, grafito
  • minagraphite refill for writing tool
  • grafitographite refill for writing tool
  • barritagraphite refill for writing tool
  • puntagraphite refill for writing tool
Swedish stift
  • stiftgraphite refill for writing tool
Cite this entry
APA

pencil lead. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pencil%20lead

MLA

“pencil lead.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pencil%20lead. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pencil lead,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pencil%20lead.

Source: pencil lead on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.