μόλυβδος, ὁ
(ἡ, see infr. III. 2), lead, [[ 4th-5th c.BC: Simonides Lyricus 64 (uncertain), 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.56, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.93, “IG” 12.371.12,22.1666.30, +others, “PCair.Zen.” 386r (3rd c.BC), etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]; τηκτὸς μ. [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Andromache” 267, etc. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II plumbago, used as a test of gold, [[ 6th c.BC: Theognis Elegiacus 417, 1105, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Meteorologica” 349a2. ] Refs 6th c.BC+]
__II.2 circular piece of lead for drawing ruled lines, [[ Anthologia Graeca 6.67 (4th c.AD: Julianus Imperator Aeg.). ] Refs 4th c.AD+]
__III ={μολύβδιον} II, [[ 5th c.BC: Hippocrates Medicus “γυναικεῖα” 2.132, +others ] Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.2 μ., ἡ, ={μολυβδίς}[[ 3, 1st-2nd c.AD: Ammonius Grammaticus “περὶ ὁμοίων καὶ διαφόρων λέξεων” p.120 V.—Acc. to “Etymologicum Magnum” 590.8, μόλυβδος and μόλιβος] Refs 1st c.AD+], with their respective derivations, are the correct forms, and this is corroborated by the earlier Inscrr. and Papyrus; but later Inscrr., Papyrus, and codices show much variation in spelling in derivations; compare βόλιμος, περιβολιβόω. (Prob. a foreign word like the cognate Latin plumbum.)