I.of or belonging to lead, made of lead, leaden, lead-.
I. Lit.: “plumbea glans,” Lucr. 6, 306: “pistillum,” Plin. 34, 18, 50, § 169: “vas,” id. 33, 6, 35, § 109: ictus, blows given with a scourge to which a leaden ball is attached, Prud. στεφ. 10, 122.—Subst.
B. Transf.
1. Leaden, blunt, dull (class.): “plumbeo gladio jugulatus,” Cic. Att. 1, 16, 2: “o plumbeum pugionem!” id. Fin. 4, 18, 48.—
2. Leaden, bad, vile, poor, worthless (poet.): “nummus,” Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 40; id. Trin. 4, 2, 120: faber, qui cudere soles plumbeos nummos, to coin leaden money, i. e. bad jokes, id. Most. 4, 2, 11; so, plumbei, as subst. (sc. nummi), Mart. 10, 74, 4: “vina,” Mart. 10, 49, 5: “mala,” id. 10, 94, 4: “carmina,” Aus. Ep. 6, 1.—
3. Leaden, i. e. heavy, oppressive, burdensome (poet.): “nec plumbeus Auster Auctumnusque gravis,” Hor. S. 2, 6, 18.—
II. Trop.
A. Leaden, i. e. heavy, weighty (ante-class.): “si quid peccatum est, plumbeas iras gerunt,” Plaut. Poen. 3, 6, 16.—
B. Leaden, dull, stupid, stolid (class.): “caudex, stipes, asinus, plumbeus,” Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 4: “nisi plane in physicis plumbei sumus,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 29, 71: cor, without feeling, Licin. ap. Suet. Ner. 2.