1. (Gr. Antiq.) Any statue of the goddess Pallas; esp., the famous
statue on the preservation of which depended the safety of ancient
Troy.
2. Hence: That which affords effectual protection or security; a
safeguard; as, the trial by jury is the palladium of our civil rights.
Blackstone.
Pal*la"di*um, n. [NL.] (Chem.) A rare metallic element of the light
platinum group, found native, and also alloyed with platinum and gold.
It is a silver-white metal resembling platinum, and like it permanent
and untarnished in the air, but is more easily fusible. It is unique in
its power of occluding hydrogen, which it does to the extent of nearly
a thousand volumes, forming the alloy Pd2H. It is used for graduated
circles and verniers, for plating certain silver goods, and somewhat in
dentistry. It was so named in 1804 by Wollaston from the asteroid
Pallas, which was discovered in 1802. Symbol Pd. Atomic weight, 106.2.
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Pal*la"di*um*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Palladiumized (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Palladiumizing (?).] To cover or coat with palladium. [R.]
Pal"lah (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A large South African antelope (∆pyceros
melampus). The male has long lyrate and annulated horns. The general
color is bay, with a black crescent on the croup. Called also roodebok.
Pal"las (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;.] (Gr. Myth.) Pallas Athene, the
Grecian goddess of wisdom, called also Athene, and identified, at a
later period, with the Roman Minerva.
Pall"bear*er (?), n. One of those who attend the coffin at a funeral;
-- so called from the pall being formerly carried by them.
Pal"let (?), n. [OE. paillet, F. paillet a heap of straw, fr. paille
straw, fr. L. palea chaff; cf. Gr. &?; fine meal, dust, Skr. pala
straw, palva chaff. Cf. Paillasse.] A small and mean bed; a bed of
straw. Milton.
Pal"let, n. [Dim. of pale. See Pale a stake.] (Her.) A perpendicular
band upon an escutcheon, one half the breadth of the pale.
Pal"let, n. [F. palette: af. It. paletta; prop. and orig., a fire
shovel, dim. of L. pala a shovel, spade. See Peel a shovel.] 1.
(Paint.) Same as Palette.
2. (Pottery) (a) A wooden implement used by potters, crucible makers,
etc., for forming, beating, and rounding their works. It is oval,
round, and of other forms. (b) A potter's wheel.
3. (Gilding) (a) An instrument used to take up gold leaf from the
pillow, and to apply it. (b) A tool for gilding the backs of books over
the bands.
4. (Brickmaking) A board on which a newly molded brick is conveyed to
the hack. Knight.
5. (Mach.) (a) A click or pawl for driving a ratchet wheel. (b) One of
the series of disks or pistons in the chain pump. Knight.
6. (Horology) One of the pieces or levers connected with the pendulum
of a clock, or the balance of a watch, which receive the immediate
impulse of the scape-wheel, or balance wheel. Brande & C.
7. (Mus.) In the organ, a valve between the wind chest and the mouth of
a pipe or row of pipes.
8. (Zoˆl.) One of a pair of shelly plates that protect the siphon tubes
of certain bivalves, as the Teredo. See Illust. of Teredo.