zaffer

or zaf·fre

[ zaf-er ]

/ ˈzæf ər /

noun

an artificial mixture, resembling smalt, containing cobalt oxide and, usually, silica, used to produce a blue color in glass and in ceramic glazes.

Nearby words

zadar, zaddik, zadkine, zadkine, ossip, zadok, zaffer, zaftig, zafu, zag, zagazig, zaghlul

Origin of zaffer

1655–65; < Italian zaffera, perhaps < Latin sapphīra sapphire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for zaffre

Zaffre is now made from the cobalt ores found in these hills.
The Mosaic History of the Creation of the World|Thomas Wood
Zaffre, digested in aqua regia, and diluted with four times its weight of water, is sometimes employed; a green tint results.
The Short-story|William Patterson Atkinson
Zaffre is the roasted mineral ground with sand, while smalt, a term used more frequently, is the fused mixture with sand.
De Re Metallica|Georgius Agricola
A little oxide of cobalt or zaffre is frequently added to alter the shade.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley

The first practical use of cobalt was in the form of zaffre or cobalt blue.
De Re Metallica|Georgius Agricola

British Dictionary definitions for zaffre

zaffer

zaffre

/ (ˈzæfə) /

noun

impure cobalt oxide, used to impart a blue colour to enamels

Word Origin for zaffer

C17: from Italian zaffera; perhaps related to Latin sapphīrus sapphire

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012