Cér'use, n.

(52), n. [Fr. céruse, Pr. cerusa, ceruza, Sp. cerusa, It. & Lat. cerussa.]

1. White lead; a carbonate of lead, produced by exposing the metal, in thin plates, to the vapor of acids, as vinegar. It is used, mixed with oil, for painting, and a cosmetic is prepared from it. “Eyesight . . . too weak to distinguish ceruse from natural bloom.” Macaulay.
2. The native carbonate of lead. Dana.