Elements in English: LEAD
Saturdays are perfect days for heavy metal surprises. Surprise—we’re talking about words related to the element lead today!
Lead is one of the oldest metals known to man and one that has been used in nearly every trade, craft, or art imaginable. This dull gray metal is dense and soft, which lends it to a variety of applications. Unfortunately, lead is also highly toxic to humans, which explains why lead pipes—common throughout many centuries and the reason why we called it plumbing in the first place—have been phased out. Symbolically, lead has been associated with heaviness and dullness:
leaden (adj) - oppressively heavy, slow, or dull; made of lead; gray like the color of lead
lead footed (adj) - prone to drive very rapidly or walk very slowly
In addition, lead is associated with the gloomy deity Saturn, for whom the planet is named:
saturnine (adj) - gloomy or morose, often in a heavy or bitter way; scowling and slow; dark complexioned; mocking
Saturnism (noun) - an archaic term for lead poisoning
A surprising number of English words are derived from PLUMB-, the root for lead:
aplomb (noun) - unshakeable poise, style, and self-assurance
plumb (verb) - to explore or measure the depths of something; to evaluate vertical alignment
—plumb can also mean exact or precisely vertical
—a plumb is a weight, originally lead, attached to a plumb line to be used for finding the depth of water or determining the verticality of a surface
plumbago (noun) - a genus of flowering plants in the family Plumbaginaceae, named for a European species which was used to cure lead poisoning
plumbeous (adj) - containing, resembling, or colored like lead
plumbic (adj) - of, pertaining to, or containing lead, especially with a valence of four
plumber (noun) - a craftsperson who specializes in the installation, repair, and maintenance of pipes and plumbing systems
—plumbing describes any system that conveys fluids
plummet (verb) - to fall or drop rapidly
—a plummet can describe a sharp or rapid fall or drop or a plumb or plumb line
plunge (verb) - to jump, fall, or thrust quickly and forcibly into something
—a plunge is a swim, fall, or drop
—plunging means falling steeply or low cut
“How many of us can honestly say that we have plumbed the depths of our minds and hearts? How many of us regularly listen to ourselves with empathy and understanding—in the supportive way that a trusted friend can?” —William Ury