lead poisoning

noun

Updated on: 7 Apr 2018

Definition of lead poisoning

: chronic intoxication that is produced by the absorption of lead into the system and is characterized especially by fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, anemia, a dark line along the gums, and muscular paralysis or weakness of limbs — called also saturnism

See lead poisoning defined for kids

Recent Examples of lead poisoning from the Web

Other eagles haven't been so fortunate, with some dying from lead poisoning.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "Lead poisoned the bald eagle's bloodstream. But here's why she was luckier than some. | Charlotte Observer," 27 Mar. 2018
More than 4,900 children in Maryland have been diagnosed with lead poisoning in the past decade.

— doug donovan, baltimoresun.com, "Landlords with lead-tainted units could lose rights to evict under Maryland bill," 22 Mar. 2018
Rather than reducing lead exposure, federal and local policies further concentrated it among urban communities of color, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy about lead poisoning as a disease of poverty.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "How Lead Poisoned People of Color in East Chicago and Beyond," 23 Feb. 2018
For young children, lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, hearing loss and behavior problems.

— larry abbott, Houston Chronicle, "GHBA Remodelers Council: Update home safely with a lead-safe certified remodeler," 15 Mar. 2018
Jiquanda Johnson found that larger newsrooms weren’t covering the entire story of her Michigan town, the center of the lead poisoning crisis, and started the site to offer a more local, holistic take on community journalism.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "Local news is in trouble. Can new publications turn it around?," 14 Mar. 2018
These include spending on medical treatment, special education and, sometimes, crime due to the behavioural problems that can be caused by lead poisoning.

— The Economist, "The menace of lead poisoning," 24 Feb. 2018
Only Hales Corners had a clean slate with no reports of lead poisoning in the 101 children tested.

— jane ford-stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Children found with high levels of lead in Milwaukee County suburbs. What can you do to change this?," 7 Feb. 2018
Many people who live in Silver Valley suffer from health problems related to heavy metal pollution, including lead poisoning.

— sena christian, Newsweek, "Bunker Hill Superfund Site Is Still a Toxic Mess, With Legacy of Suffering," 12 June 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lead poisoning.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of lead poisoning

circa 1842

Medical Dictionary

lead poisoning

noun

medical Definition of lead poisoning

: a serious acute or chronic condition that is caused by exposure and absorption of lead (such as lead carbonate) and is characterized by variable symptoms including fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, impaired cognitive development or function, joint and muscle pain, loss of appetite, anemia, a dark line along the gums, encephalopathy, seizures, paralysis, and kidney damage — called also plumbism, saturnism