1. the act or process of coating or polishing a surface with blacklead (graphite)
Usage: chiefly British; historical domestic practice

1. to coat, polish, or clean (especially a stove or fireplace) with blacklead
Usage: chiefly British; historical

Examples

• The maid spent the morning blackleading the kitchen stove until it gleamed.
• Blackleading was a common household chore in Victorian times.
• She used a cloth and blacklead to polish the fireplace grate.
• The servants were responsible for blackleading all the metal fixtures.
• Before modern cleaning products, blackleading was the standard way to maintain cast iron.
• The recipe for blackleading paste included graphite and oil.