ceruse
/ˈsɪəruːs
/ /sɪˈruːs /noun
Archaic term for white lead.The white lead made hair fall out; and the extensive use of ceruse through the Elizabethan era explains the fashion for high foreheads, as hairlines receded....
- Ceruse ought not to be administered internally.
- The ceruse mixture was applied to the neck and bosom as well as the face.
Origin
Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin cerussa, perhaps from Greek kēros 'wax'.