Also 6 stebium, 7 stybium. [a. L. stibium (also stibi, stimmi = Gr. στίβι, στίμμι.)] ‘Black antimony,’ i.e., trisulphide of antimony calcined and powdered, used as a cosmetic for blackening the eyelids and eyebrows. † Formerly used also for metallic antimony or any of its salts, esp. as a poison or an emetic.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. xxxv. (1495), 879. Stibium is a feyned colour made of Cerusa and of other thynges medlyd therwyth, wymmen paynted theyr faces therwyth.
c. 1596. Henslowe, Diary (1904), I. 32. Take stebium & beate yt in powder verey fine.
1612. Webster, White Devil, II. i. 281. I will compound a medicine out of their two heads, stronger then garlick, deadlier then stibium.
1633. T. Adams, Exp. 2 Peter ii. 22. 1094. Sinne, like Stibium, will tarry with no body: up it must, either here by a humble confession, or hereafter by a wretched confusion.
1634. W. Wood, New Eng. Prosp., II. vi. 67. Their belly-timbers, which I suppose would be but stibium to weake stomacks as they cooke it, though never so good of it selfe.
1660. J. H., Basil Valentine’s Tri. Chariot of Antimony, 81. The Antimony thus melted in the Crucible, Take a plain and broad dish…; poure in the stibium by litle and litle.
1699. Garth, Dispens., V. 122. Of temper’d Stibium the bright Shield was cast.
1842. Bonar & M‘Cheyne, Narr. Mission to Jews, ii. (1843), 59. Their eyes painted with stibium.
1874. Birch, 1st & 2nd Egypt. Rooms Brit. Mus., 27. Vase for holding stibium,… called by the Arabs kohl.
