Also Palladion 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.
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
Special use of Palladium; named (1803) after the asteroid Pallas, then newly discovered; see -ium
< Latin Palladium < Greek Palládion, noun use of neuter of Palládios of Pallas, equivalent to Pallad- (stem of Pallás ) Pallas + -ios adj. suffix
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This protective protein carrier allows the complex to travel through the bloodstream while shielding the palladium catalyst from substances that would otherwise deactivate it after entering cells.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
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 need rare elements like palladium and platinum, precious metals more at home in a jewelry box than in a car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
Platinum and palladium, less-traded precious metals, have lost 17% and 15% this month, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Virgil, it seems, musing on this point of rock throughout long moonlight nights, had constructed a palladium.
From Naples Past and Present by Arthur H. Norway
The 33-year-old's glory at the London Palladium on Monday is fitting reward for an exemplary career that has seen records fall at his feet for England, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
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
A week later, Jack White, moved by their plight and inspired by their sound, offered them an opening slot on his Palladium stand instead — “Get in front of me, Satan!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 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
“Yes, Central Park sounds good, and then maybe to the Palladium later tonight, Izzy?”
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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
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
It contained a Rajputana parrakeet, not much larger than a robin, but possessor of a soul as fierce as that of Palladia, minus, however, the smoothing influence of chivalry.
From Parrot & Co. by Harold MacGrath
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