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palladium
palladiumnouna rare metallic element of the platinum group, silver-white, ductile and malleable, harder and fusing more readily than platinum: used chiefly as a catalyst and in dental and other alloys. Pd; 106.4; 46; 12 at 20°C.
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Palladium
PalladiumnounAlso Palladion a statue of Athena, especially one on the citadel of Troy on which the safety of the city was supposed to depend.
palladium
1 Americannoun
noun
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Palladia
plural
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Also Palladion a statue of Athena, especially one on the citadel of Troy on which the safety of the city was supposed to depend.
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(usually lowercase) anything believed to provide protection or safety; safeguard.
noun
noun
noun
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A malleable, ductile, grayish-white metallic element that occurs naturally with platinum. It is used as a catalyst in hydrogenation and in alloys for making electrical contacts and jewelry. Atomic number 46; atomic weight 106.4; melting point 1,552°C; boiling point 3,140°C; specific gravity 12.02 (20°C); valence 2, 3, 4.
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See Periodic Table
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of palladium1
Special use of Palladium; named (1803) after the asteroid Pallas, then newly discovered; see -ium
Origin of Palladium2
< Latin Palladium < Greek Palládion, noun use of neuter of Palládios of Pallas, equivalent to Pallad- (stem of Pallás ) Pallas + -ios adj. suffix
Explanation
Palladium is an extremely valuable precious metal. Closely related to platinum, palladium is also silvery-white and shiny. When William Hyde Wollaston discovered palladium in 1803, he named it after one of the largest known asteroids, Pallas. Earlier, the word had been used to mean "a source of protection," inspired by the Greek goddess Athena, who was commonly referred to as Pallas. The precious metal shares chemical properties with many others, and it's used to clean the exhaust from cars, as well as in jewelry and electronics.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He said he’s watching to see if palladium — an investment he bought at the end of 2023 but sold in January — falls further.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Catalytic converters made with precious metals palladium, platinum and rhodium are especially targeted, according to the Justice Department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
The scientists first compared several metal nanocatalysts, including silver, cobalt, palladium, and platinum.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Platinum, palladium and rhodium are key components of autocatalysts that reduce harmful emissions from internal combustion engines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Exposed to the action of chlorine, bromine, or iodine, the hydrogen leaves the palladium and enters into direct union with these elements.
From Scientific Culture, and Other Essays Second Edition; with Additions by Josiah Parsons Cooke
The event will be the last of eight dates on the UK book tour, which has also included Cardiff, Cambridge, Brighton, Manchester, Stockton-on-Tees and Glasgow, as well as the London Palladium.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
The Bilt Palladium, $495 annual fee: I was already considering the Bilt card before talking to Kelly because it appears to fit how I currently spend.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
She also played Jacqueline in the original London cast of La Cage Aux Folles at the London Palladium in 1986.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The Sex Pistols headlining the Palladium in New York City or the Agora in Cleveland wouldn’t have made splashy headlines.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
“Yes, Central Park sounds good, and then maybe to the Palladium later tonight, Izzy?”
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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The most appealing part of the package is a new documentary, R.E.M. by MTV, culled from the material and directed by Alex Young, which will also air on Palladia and VH1 Classic.
From BusinessWeek ● Nov. 26, 2014
TV rights to air "This Is It" on its MTV and BET family of networks -- including VH1 and Palladia, as well as MTV and BET -- for six years.
From Reuters ● Jun. 21, 2010
Palladia was a master at building churches, convents and palaces.
From Time Magazine Archive
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There also exists a set of small Mycenaean relics called Palladia, found at Mycenae, Spata and in the earliest strata of the Acropolis at Athens.
From Homer and His Age by Andrew Lang
He remembered seeing her, eighty years ago, on the stage of the Palladia.
From Rich Living by Michael Cathal
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