Real Dictionary

Palladium in American English
a rare, silver-white, ductile, malleable chemical element, one of the platinum metals: it is used as a catalyst, esp. in hydrogenation processes, or in alloys with gold, silver, and other metals: symbol, Pd; at. no., 46
in ancient Greece and Rome, any statue of the Greek goddess Pallas Athena; specif., the legendary statue in Troy on the preservation of which the safety of the city was supposed to depend
noun: 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; at. wt.: 106.4; at. no.: 46; sp. gr.: 12 at 20°C
noun: a statue of Athena, esp. one on the citadel of Troy on which the safety of the city was supposed to depend

Palladium in British English
noun: a statue of Pallas Athena, esp the one upon which the safety of Troy depended

palladium in British English 1
noun: 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; r

palladium in British English 2
noun: something believed to ensure protection; safeguard