platina

[ plat-n-uh, pluh-tee-nuh ]

noun

1. a native alloy of platinum with palladium, iridium, osmium, etc.

platina

/ pləˈtiːnə; ˈplætɪnə /

noun

1. an alloy of platinum and several other metals, including palladium, osmium, and iridium

Word History and Origins

Origin of platina¹

1740–50; < Spanish: literally, silverlike element, equivalent to plat ( a ) silver (< Provençal: literally, silver plate; plate ¹ ) + -ina -ine ¹. See platinum

Word History and Origins

Origin of platina¹

C18: from Spanish: silvery element, from plata silver, from Provençal: silver plate

Example Sentences

An exceedingly few rays of the sun, concentrated by a burning mirror, will convert gold and platina into vapor.

From Project Gutenberg

Nitrous acid dissolves all metallic substances except gold and platina, and in the solution nitrous air is produced.

From Project Gutenberg

Neither this acid nor the nitrous will dissolve gold or platina; but a mixture of them, called aqua regia, will do it.

From Project Gutenberg

Pure platina is the heaviest body in nature, its specific gravity exceeding twenty-two.

From Project Gutenberg

Also most of the metals precipitate platina, but not in its metallic state.

From Project Gutenberg