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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
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
In November, Chinese defense and industrial giant Norinco was blocked from buying DRC copper and cobalt mine Chemaf despite the sale having been agreed on for months.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
While the country is best known for producing most of the world’s vanilla, other exports including nickel, cobalt, textiles and shrimp are also vital to foreign earnings and employment.
—CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
The analyst added that these permanent magnets use elements such as samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron molecules or yttrium, a rare earth metal used to prevent corrosion.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cobalt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cobalt. Accessed 19 Oct. 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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