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The metallic element "cobalt" ultimately draws its name from folklore. In Middle High German, "kobolt" denoted a usually helpful household elf that engaged in nasty pranks only when it was offended. Later, early Modern German Kobold came to refer to a variety of less helpful goblins inhabiting fields and mountains. The variant "Kobolt" in the 16th century was applied by German miners to ores containing the metal cobalt, which they considered to be worthless; they believed that mountain goblins had spoiled adjacent silver ores, or had stolen the silver within the ore. The metal itself in relatively pure form was not produced and described until the 17th century, when "cobalt," with its first letter influenced by New Latin cobaltum, became part of the international language of science.
Examples of cobalt in a Sentence
Big Think, 26 Aug. 2025
Today’s vast majority of lithium comes from Australia, Chile, and China, and cobalt predominantly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2025
The same is true for lithium, cobalt, and rare earths.
—Robert Ginsburg, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Mineral mining risks contaminating groundwater The demand for critical minerals, like lithium, cobalt, copper and nickel is growing due to the transition towards cleaner technologies, which use them.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cobalt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cobalt. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
from German Kobalt "cobalt," an altered form of Kobold, literally, "goblin"; so called because its appearance in silver ore was thought to have been the work of goblins who left it in place of silver which they stole
Medical Definition
cobalt
noun
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