palladium

¹

[ puh-ley-dee-uhm ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. 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. : Pd; : 106.4; : 46; : 12 at 20°C.

Palladium

²

[ puh-ley-dee-uhm ]

noun

, plural Pal·la·di·a [p, uh, -, ley, -dee-, uh].

1. Also Pal·la·di·on [] a statue of Athena, especially one on the citadel of Troy on which the safety of the city was supposed to depend.
2. (usually lowercase) anything believed to provide protection or safety; safeguard.

palladium

¹

/ pəˈleɪdɪəm /

noun

1. something believed to ensure protection; safeguard

palladium

²

/ pəˈleɪdɪəm /

noun

1. 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

Palladium

³

/ pəˈleɪdɪəm /

noun

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

palladium

/ pə-lā′dē-əm /

1. 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.
2. See Periodic Table

Word History and Origins

Origin of palladium¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of palladium¹

C17: after the Palladium

Origin of palladium²

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

Example Sentences

Thieves target catalytic converters because they contain precious metals, including rhodium, palladium and platinum.

From Los Angeles Times

Thieves target catalytic converters because they contain precious metals including rhodium, palladium and platinum.

From Los Angeles Times

By binding the peptide to small amounts of metal such as palladium, the researchers could create a tuneable structure they could rapidly increase or decrease in size.

From Science Daily

Catalytic converters, which control exhaust emissions, are typically found in the undercarriage of a vehicle and contain precious metals including rhodium, palladium and platinum.

From Los Angeles Times

These critical emission-control devices are valuable because they contain rare metals, like palladium and rhodium, that can be extracted and resold.

From New York Times