1
: a gnome that in German folklore inhabits underground places
2
: an often mischievous domestic spirit of German folklore
Synonyms
Examples of kobold in a Sentence
the metal cobalt gets its name from the medieval Germanic belief that its appearance in silver ore was the handiwork of mischievous, thieving kobolds
Recent Examples on the Web
This element takes its name from the German word kobelt, signifying kobolds—gnomes and goblins thought to haunt mines.
—
Sanjana Curtis, Scientific American, 4 July 2023
The word cobalt comes from the German word kobold, meaning goblin.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2022
Otherworldly cities modeled on real ones have been a standby of fantasy, from Superman’s Metropolis through China Miéville’s Un Lun Dun to Michael Swanwick’s Babel, with its haints and kobolds, ethnic politics and human ward-heelers.
—Tom Shippey, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2018
Sanjana Curtis, Scientific American, 4 July 2023
The word cobalt comes from the German word kobold, meaning goblin.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2022
Otherworldly cities modeled on real ones have been a standby of fantasy, from Superman’s Metropolis through China Miéville’s Un Lun Dun to Michael Swanwick’s Babel, with its haints and kobolds, ethnic politics and human ward-heelers.
—Tom Shippey, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kobold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Kobold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kobold. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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