I. pəˈlādēəm noun
( plural palla·dia -ēə ; also palla·diums )
Etymology: Latin, from Greek palladion statue of Pallas on the preservation of which was supposed to depend the safety of Troy, from palladion, neuter of palladios of Pallas, from Pallad-, Pallas Pallas
: something that affords effectual protection or security : safeguard
trial by jury has been called the palladium of our civil rights
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin, from Pallad-, Pallas Pallas, the asteroid + -ium
: a silver-white ductile malleable metallic element that is one of the platinum metals and resembles platinum, that does not tarnish at ordinary temperatures, that occurs usually with platinum (as in nickel sulfide and gold ores), and that is used chiefly as a hydrogenation and dehydrogenation catalyst because of its ability to occlude large volumes of hydrogen and other gases, as ornamentation in the form of thin leaves especially on book covers, as electrical contacts in telephone equipment, and in alloys (as with silver or ruthenium) for electrical apparatus and jewelry and in dentistry — symbol Pd ; see element table