French word

plomb

Pronunciation

IPA/plɔ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlead

Example

Ce vieux jouet contient du plomb.

This old toy contains lead.

Illustration for plomb (lead)

More examples

Les tuyaux en plomb doivent être remplacés.

Lead pipes must be replaced.

Core concept

A hidden weight that makes an object, situation, or mood feel slow and heavy.

Common phrases

  • tuyau en plomb

    lead pipe

  • peinture au plomb

    lead paint

  • balle en plomb

    lead bullet

Similar words

métal: A class of hard, workable substances used for tools, machinery, and building.
fer: A strong, dark metal that may attract magnets and is used in buildings and tools.
cuivre: A fairly soft, reddish metal used in electrical wires and pipes.
or: A soft, shiny yellow metal prized for jewelry and other decoration.

Definition in French

Matière lourde et dense connue pour son poids et sa capacité à ralentir ou alourdir, avec des emplois concrets (plombs, tuyaux) et figurés (atmosphère, faiblesse).

Word origin

French inherited plomb from Latin plumbum through Old French, while its material properties supported later uses for weights and pipes.

Usage tips

  • In avoir du plomb dans l'aile, plomb is figurative and the phrase means that something is losing strength or momentum.

Other meanings

  • shotnoun

Related words

  • plombierplumbernoun
  • plomberseal with leadverb
  • plombagedental fillingnoun

Word lists with this word