Cob
(Cob), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cobbed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Cobbing.]
1. To strike [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
2. (Mining) To break into small pieces, as ore, so as to sort out its better portions. Raymond.
3. (Naut.) To punish by striking on the buttocks with a strap, a flat piece of wood, or the like.
Cobæa
(Co*bæ"a) n. [Named after D. Cobo, a Spanish botanist.] A genus of climbing plants, native of
Mexico and South America. C. scandens is a conservatory climber with large bell-shaped flowers.
Cobalt
(Co"balt) n. [G. kobalt, prob. fr. kobold, kobel, goblin, MHG. kobolt; perh. akin to G. koben
pigsty, hut, AS. cofa room, cofgodas household gods, Icel. kofi hut. If so, the ending - old stands for
older -walt, -wald, being the same as -ald in E. herald and the word would mean ruler or governor in
a house, house spirit, the metal being so called by miners, because it was poisonous and troublesome.
Cf. Kobold, Cove, Goblin.]
1. (Chem.) A tough, lustrous, reddish white metal of the iron group, not easily fusible, and somewhat
magnetic. Atomic weight 59.1. Symbol Co.
It occurs in nature in combination with arsenic, sulphur, and oxygen, and is obtained from its ores, smaltite,
cobaltite, asbolite, etc. Its oxide colors glass or any flux, as borax, a fine blue, and is used in the manufacture
of smalt. It is frequently associated with nickel, and both are characteristic ingredients of meteoric iron.
2. A commercial name of a crude arsenic used as fly poison.
Cobalt bloom. Same as Erythrite. — Cobalt blue, a dark blue pigment consisting of some salt of
cobalt, as the phosphate, ignited with alumina; — called also cobalt ultramarine, and Thenard's blue.
— Cobalt crust, earthy arseniate of cobalt. — Cobalt glance. (Min.) See Cobaltite. — Cobalt
green, a pigment consisting essentially of the oxides of cobalt and zinc; — called also Rinman's green.
— Cobalt yellow (Chem.), a yellow crystalline powder, regarded as a double nitrite of cobalt and
potassium.
Cobaltic
(Co*balt"ic) a. [Cf. F. cobaltique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, cobalt; —
said especially of those compounds in which cobalt has higher valence; as, cobaltic oxide.
Luteo-cobaltic compounds (Chem.), an extensive series of complex yellow compounds of ammonia
and cobaltic salts. — Roseo-cobaltic compounds (Chem.), an extensive series of complex red compounds
of cobalt and ammonia. Modifications of these are the purpureo-cobaltic compounds.
Cobaltiferous
(Co`balt*if"er*ous) a. [Cobalt + -ferous.] (Min.) Containing cobalt.
