Cobaltocyanide

/koʊˌbɔːltəˈsaɪənɪd/ noun

Definition

A chemical compound that contains both cobalt and cyanide ions bonded together, used in analytical chemistry and pigment production.

Etymology

From cobalt + cyanide. Cyanide comes from Greek kyanos (blue) because early chemists noticed these compounds were intensely blue-colored.

Kelly Says

Cobaltocyanides can be brilliant shades of blue and were once used as dyes, but chemists had to be extremely careful because free cyanide is deadly—the trick was keeping the cyanide locked tightly to the cobalt!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.