plomo

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern) [ˈplu.mu]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈplo.mo]
• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈplo.mu]

Etymology 1

Verb

plomo

1. first-person singular present indicative of plomar (“to pluck”)

Etymology 2

Verb

plomo

1. first-person singular present indicative of plomar (“to seal with lead”)

Spanish

Chemical element (edit)
Pb Atomic number 82 plomo
Classification data Period 6 Group 14 Block p-block Class post-transition metal
Previous: ← talio (Tl)
Next: bismuto (Bi) →

Etymology

From Latin plumbum. The initial group ⟨pl-⟩ usually became ⟨ll-⟩ in inherited Spanish, so a fully popular development would give *llomo or similar. The form plomo points to a semi-learned term taken early from Latin, or to a borrowing through medieval Catalan (see plom) or Aragonese. A Mozarabic origin is unlikely, since the expected Mozarabic form would be *plombo, although the region is relevant because most of the lead in Spain came from Almería in Andalusia. A conservative pronunciation might have persisted among educated speakers, which would also explain the retention of ⟨pl-⟩ as, compare also plaza; there is also retention of ⟨cl-⟩ in words such as claro.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈplomo/ [ˈplo.mo]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -omo
• Syllabification: plo‧mo

Noun

plomo m (plural plomos)

1. lead (heavy, pliable, inelastic metal)
2. grey (colour between white and black)
3. shot, pellet
4. plumb line
5. fuse
6. (informal) bore, drag (something boring or dull)

Derived terms

• aplomar
• caer a plomo
• con pies de plomo
• desplomar
• óxido de plomo
• pájaro plomo
• plata o plomo

Related terms

• aplomo
• plomero
• plomizo
• plomoso
• plúmbeo

Descendants

• → Asturian: plomu
• → Senhaja de Srair: plumu
• → Tarifit: plumu

Further reading

• “plomo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025