palladium

[ puh-ley-dee-uh m ]

/ pəˈleɪ di əm /

noun Chemistry.

a 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. Symbol: Pd; atomic weight: 106.4; atomic number: 46; specific gravity: 12 at 20°C.

Nearby words

Origin of palladium

special use of Palladium; named (1803) after the asteroid Pallas, then newly discovered; see -ium

Palladium

[ puh-ley-dee-uh m ]

/ pəˈleɪ di əm /

noun, plural Pal·la·di·a [puh-ley-dee-uh] /pəˈleɪ di ə/.

Also Pal·la·di·on

[puh-ley-dee-on] /pəˈleɪ diˌɒn/. a statue of Athena, especially one on the citadel of Troy on which the safety of the city was supposed to depend.

(usually lowercase) anything believed to provide protection or safety; safeguard.

Origin of Palladium

< Latin Palladium < Greek Palládion, noun use of neuter of Palládios of Pallas, equivalent to Pallad- (stem of Pallás) Pallas + -ios adj. suffix

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

Examples from the Web for palladium

Kurt and Courtney met the second time in May 1991 during an L7 concert at the Palladium in Los Angeles.
The Moment Kurt Cobain Met Courtney Love|Charles R. Cross|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He stormed legendary spots like Palladium and Tunnel, and turned them into strobe-lit dens of iniquity.
The Party Monster Lives For the Applause: Michael Alig’s Second Act|Caitlin Dickson|February 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To this quality we may ascribe much of his success in conducting the Palladium.
Memoir of Rev. Joseph Badger|Elihu G. Holland
The other, an even more honoured possession, was the Stone of Destiny—'the palladium of Scotland.'
Sir William Wallace|A. F. Murison

An English judge and an English jury were to him the Palladium of discerning truth.
Orley Farm|Anthony Trollope
It was the palladium of Hatton Hall and was regarded with great honor and affection.
The Measure of a Man|Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
She then told him of the plans of the Trojans, and where and how the Palladium was to be got.
The Story of Troy|Michael Clarke

British Dictionary definitions for palladium

palladium

/ (pəˈleɪdɪəm) /

noun

a ductile malleable silvery-white element of the platinum metal group occurring principally in nickel-bearing ores: used as a hydrogenation catalyst and, alloyed with gold, in jewellery. Symbol: Pd; atomic no: 46; atomic wt: 106.42; valency: 2, 3, or 4; relative density: 1202; melting pt: 1555°C; boiling pt: 2964°C

Word Origin for palladium

C19: named after the asteroid Pallas, at the time (1803) a recent discovery

noun

something believed to ensure protection; safeguard

Word Origin for palladium

C17: after the Palladium

Palladium

/ (pəˈleɪdɪəm) /

noun

a statue of Pallas Athena, esp the one upon which the safety of Troy depended

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

Word Origin and History for palladium

palladium

n.1

"safeguard," c.1600, originally (late 14c.) "sacred image of Pallas Athene," from Latin palladium, from Greek Palladion, noun use of neuter of Palladios "of Pallas." It stood in the citadel of Troy and the safety of the city was believed to depend on it.

palladium

n.2

metallic element, coined 1803 by discoverer William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828), from Pallas, name of an asteroid discovered the previous year (by German astronomer Olbers) and named for the goddess (see Pallas).

Medicine definitions for palladium

palladium

[ pə-lā′dē-əm ]

n. Symbol Pd

A soft ductile metallic element occurring naturally with platinum, especially in gold, nickel, and copper ores, and used as a catalyst in hydrogenation and in dentistry. Atomic number 46.

Science definitions for palladium

palladium

[ pə-lā′dē-əm ]

Pd

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. See Periodic Table.