Cobalt
/ˈkoʊ.bɑːlt/noun
A hard, lustrous, silver-gray metallic element used in alloys, pigments, and batteries.
Did you know?The word entered European mining lore because cobalt ores were notoriously troublesome, and miners associated the poisonous fumes and useless-looking rock with mischievous underground spirits called kobolds.
Etymological Timeline
Middle High German
MHG
kobolt
“a goblin or household spirit”
16th Century
German
Kobold
“a goblin or mine spirit”
16th Century
German
Kobalt
“a troublesome mineral ore associated with kobolds”
17th Century
French
cobalt
“the mineral and then the metal obtained from it”
18th Century
English
cobalt
“the metallic element and its compounds”