Litharge

Forms: α. 4–6 litarge, 5–6 lytarge, 6 lethargy, lytherge, 6–7 litargy, littarge, 7 lithargie, -y, lytharge, (littorage, lytoridge, lyturgy), 8 litargie, letharge, litherage, (liturge), 5– litharge. β. 5 litergirij, 6 lithargirye, lythurgyry, 7 lithargiry. [a. or ad. OF. litarge, litargire (F. litharge), ad. L. lithargyrus, a. Gr. λιθάργυρος, f. λίθ-ος stone + ἄργυρος silver. The β forms are from the mod.L. derivative litargirium, -ia.]

  1.  Protoxide of lead (PbO) prepared by exposing melted lead to a current of air. † Also litharge of lead.

1322.  in Wardr. Acc. Edw. II., 23/20. Litarge 4d. per lb.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Can. Yeom. Prol. & T., 222. Oure grounden litarge eek in the P[o]rfurie.

1477.  Norton, Ord. Alch., iii. in Ashm. (1652), 41. Then we name it our grounde Litharge.

1563.  T. Gale, Antidot., II. 49. Take Litarge of leide in fyne pouder.

1674.  Ray, Collect. Words, Smelting Silver, 114. When the furnace is come to a true temper of heat the Lead converted into Litharge is cast off.

1707.  Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 325. Lead being … burnt into Litargie, retakes also its first Form … if a Lixiviate Salt be … applied to it.

1758.  Reid, trans. Macquer’s Chem., I. 389. Pure Lead, being exposed to a strong fire without any additament, turns to Litharge.

1860.  Piesse, Lab. Chem. Wonders, 155. Put a few grains of litharge before the blowpipe flame.

  † b.  Litharge of gold: a name given to litharge when colored red by mixture of red lead. Litharge of silver: a name given to it as being a byproduct in the separation of silver from lead. Litharge of bismuth: ? a similar product obtained by the oxidation of bismuth. Obs.

c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 99. Take … litarge of gold, litarge of siluir ʓ.viii.

1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, VI. lxxxvii. 771. To be pound with the lytarge of sylver and frankencense.

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, II. l. 269. The iuice mixed with oile of roses, ceruse, and littarge of golde, and applied [etc.].

1601.  Holland, Pliny, I. 304. The very root of the right Nard … is mingled … with Litharge of siluer, Antimony, or the rind of Cyperus.

1639.  T. de Gray, Compl. Horsem., 208. Take lyturgy of gold and lyturgy of silver … mix well the lyturgys.

1718.  Quincy, Compl. Disp. (1719), 212. Lythargyrus Auri, Litharge of Gold. It generally is call’d thus for its Colour sake.

1727–41.  Chambers, Cycl., Artificial Litharge, which is of two kinds, viz. that of gold, and that of silver; or rather it is the same, with this difference, that the one has undergone a greater degree of fire than the other.

1796.  Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), II. 489. Litharge of Bismuth.

  † 2.  Used as equivalent to White Lead or Red Lead (see LEAD sb.¹ 2).

1551.  Turner, Herbal, I. M j. The iuice of Coriandre with whyte lede or lythurgyry and vinegre.

1660.  Howell, Lexicon, Litargie, or white Lead.

1683.  Pettus, Fleta Min., I. (1686), 26. Of these pibble-stones take one part, and half a part of red Littorage or Littarge … and hete it well.

1796.  Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), II. 368. Litharge or Red Lead.

1800.  trans. Lagrange’s Chem., II. 64. If you expose to heat in a crucible red oxide of lead or litharge.

  3.  attrib., as litharge-furnace; litharge-plaster ? = DIACHYLON; litharge-way, the opening in a reverberatory furnace through which the litharge flows in the fining of silver.

1887.  Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 26. We canvassed the … necessity of erecting a *litharge furnace.

1784.  M. Underwood, Dis. Children (1799), III. 94. Small pieces of the *litharge-plaster may be applied.

1889.  Syd. Soc. Lex., Litharge plaster, the Emplastrum plumbi.

1797.  Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XI. 464/2. This blast … throws the litharge that is not imbibed by the test towards a channel, called the *litharge-way, through which it flows.