palladium

1 of 2

noun (1)

pal·​la·​di·​um pə-ˈlā-dē-əm 

1

capitalized : a statue of Pallas whose preservation was believed to ensure the safety of Troy

2

plural palladia pə-ˈlā-dē-ə  : something that affords effectual protection or security : safeguard sense 2a

… this political persecution being, somehow or other, the grand palladium of our liberties …

—Washington Irving

… lend authority to the view that the true palladium of every people is its language …

—Ferdinand Schevill

palladium

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a silver-white ductile malleable metallic element that is used especially in electrical contacts, as a catalyst, and in alloys see Chemical Elements Table

palladous

pə-ˈlā-dəs 

adjective

Did you know?

Pallas Athena was one of the poetical names given to the Greek goddess Athena (although it's no longer clear what Pallas was supposed to mean), and the original palladium was a statue of Athena that was believed to have the power to protect the ancient city of Troy. When an asteroid belt was discovered between Mars and Jupiter, most of the asteroids were named after figures in Greek mythology, and one of the first to be discovered was named Pallas in 1803. In the same year, scientists isolated a new silvery metal element, which they named palladium in honor of the recently discovered asteroid.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• caution
• fail-safe
• precaution
• preventive
• safeguard

Examples of palladium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Or they may be broken open, and the metallic honeycombs mined for platinum, palladium and rhodium—precious metals that can be sold on the secondary market. —Michael Harley, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023

Catalytic converters, an anti-pollution part installed under every car, are made of several metals — platinum, palladium and rhodium — that spiked in value from 2020 to 2022. —Jasmine Cui, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2023

Catalytic converters, cylindrical hunks of metal within the exhaust system of most cars and trucks, transform harmful gases into less-harmful ones using precious metals including rhodium, palladium and platinum. —Joe Barrett, WSJ, 29 Oct. 2022

Triplet sensitizers typically contain a heavy metal like palladium, iridium, or platinum. —Tracy H. Schloemer, IEEE Spectrum, 19 Sep. 2023

Thieves are after what’s inside of catalytic converters — platinum, rhodium, and palladium, rare earth metals that are more valuable than gold, according to the nonprofit. —Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2023

Higher prices for platinum, palladium and rhodium coupled with supply constraints during the COVID pandemic fueled the catalytic converter crime wave. —Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2023

In addition, the physical gold or physical silver (or platinum or palladium) held in a precious metals IRA confers the substantial tax advantages that come with all IRAs. —J.b. Maverick | Iron Monk Solutions, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Jan. 2023

The devices contain the valuable minerals rhodium, palladium and platinum. —Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 24 Jan. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Latin, from Greek palladion, from Pallad-, Pallas

Noun (2)

New Latin, from Pallad-, Pallas, an asteroid

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1803, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

palladium

noun

pal·​la·​di·​um

pə-ˈlād-ē-əm

: a silver-white metallic element that is used especially in alloys see element

Medical Definition

palladium

noun

pal·​la·​di·​um pə-ˈlād-ē-əm 

: a silver-white ductile malleable metallic element of the platinum group that is used especially in electrical contacts, as a catalyst, and in alloys

—symbol Pd see Chemical Elements Table