cobalt bloom
- noun
- Specialized
- Glassmakers sought cobalt bloom as a pigment for producing rich blue glass.
Examples
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Geologists discovered veins rich in cobalt bloom while surveying the old mine.
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The striking color of cobalt bloom makes it a popular specimen for mineral collectors.
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The cobalt bloom was discovered in a remote mine.
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Many artists use cobalt bloom to achieve vibrant colors.
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Glassmakers sought cobalt bloom as a pigment for producing rich blue glass.
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The striking color of cobalt bloom makes it a popular specimen for mineral collectors.
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Geologists discovered veins rich in cobalt bloom while surveying the old mine.
Synonyms
A reddish mineral that forms bright pink crystals used to color glass
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally motivated: a learner who knows 'cobalt' (the metal) and 'bloom' (a deposit or surface residue) can plausibly infer it refers to a cobalt-related deposit or residue. However, the entry denotes a specific, technical mineral (hydrated cobalt arsenate with crystalline and reddish properties) that goes beyond the simple depositional sense, so the exact mineral identity and properties are not fully predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Cobalt bloom may come from miners who saw bright, red patches of crystals growing on the rock and thought of bloom as a small 'flower'. Because the mineral contains cobalt and was used to give deep blue color to glass, the name came to mean this reddish cobalt mineral used for color.