cobalt blue

American  

noun

1. a deep blue to a strong greenish-blue color.

2. any of a number of pigments containing an oxide of cobalt.

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cobalt blue British  

noun

1. Also called: Thénard's blue.  any greenish-blue pigment containing cobalt aluminate, usually made by heating cobaltous sulphate, aluminium oxide, and phosphoric acid together

2. 1. a deep blue to greenish-blue colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a cobalt-blue car

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Etymology

Origin of cobalt blue

First recorded in 1825–35

Compare meaning

How does cobalt-blue compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cobalt blue vs. royal blue

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cobalt blue

The blue-tinted lenses seemed to resonate perfectly with the cobalt blue background of the Davos stage, creating a striking effect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

Shasta with puffy white clouds drifting across a cobalt blue sky, Griffin recalled one of his worst days on the job.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2025

Of course, in the fashion world, an item of clothing can't just be blue, so Laws says he thinks cornflower and cobalt blue will make a particular appearance across shows.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2024

If the new regulation was cobalt blue and the regulation back then was sky blue, that would not cut it—the government was out of luck.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2024

He is covered with Parisian soot and grime, overlaid with splatters and spatters of paint: ochre, brick red, orange, lemon chrome, cobalt blue, green, black, zinc white.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman