Palladium

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pəˈleɪdiəm/

Definitions

1. A rare metallic element prized for its utility in electronics and catalytic processes
2. A chemical element with the symbol Pd and atomic number 46, known for its excellent catalytic properties in automotive converters ; a sacred object or symbol believed to provide protection or safety
3. The element represented by Pd, atomic number 46, notable for its discovery in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston ; an emblem or charm thought to grant security or preservation

Etymology: Palladium the element is named for an asteroid, not a myth or a mineral. In 1802, the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston identified a new metal in platinum ore, and he named it after Pallas, the asteroid discovered two years earlier. The naming followed a pattern in the period: the asteroid had been named for the goddess Pallas, the Greek name for Athena, and the element took its name from the heavens in the same way. The asteroid's name carries the older story. "Palladion" was an epithet of Athena, and the word was also used for a sacred image of Pallas kept in Troy, believed to guarantee the city's safety. From that religious object came the sense of "safeguard" that the word still carries in English, so a metal named after a star-object inherits a meaning about protection.

Synonyms: safeguard, protection