Elect. [A transferred use of F. colombin ‘baisin dans lequel se met la composition de la fritte du faïencier’ (Littré).] An insulating material used for connecting the sockets of the electric (Jablochkoff) candle.
(Formerly made of pieces of baked kaolin; now of a mixture of calcium and barium sulphates.)
1882. Dredge, Electr. Illumination, I. 516. The utility of the insulator lies in a sensible reduction in the amount of power absorbed…. The ‘colombin’ gives a definite increase of light for a given power.
