Pal*la"di*um (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?;, &?;, Pallas.]
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.
<! p. 1033 !>
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.
9. A cup containing three ounces, -- &?;ormerly used by surgeons.
Pal"li*al (?), a. [L. pallium a mantle. See Pall.] (Zoˆl.) Of or pretaining to a mantle, especially to the mantle of mollusks; produced by the mantle; as, the pallial line, or impression, which marks the attachment of the mantle on the inner surface of a bivalve shell. See Illust. of Bivalve.
Pallial chamber (Zoˆl.), the cavity inclosed by the mantle. -- Pallial sinus (Zoˆl.), an inward bending of the pallial line, near the posterior end of certain bivalve shells, to receive the siphon. See Illust. of Bivalve.
Pal"li*a*ment (?), n. [LL. palliare to clothe, fr. L. pallium a manltle. See Pall the garment.] A dress; a robe. [Obs.] Shak.
Pal"liard (?), n. [F. paillard, orig., one addicted to the couch, fr. paille straw. See Pallet a small bed.]
1. A born beggar; a vagabond. [Obs.] Halliwell.
2. A lecher; a lewd person. [Obs.] Dryden.
Pal*liasse" (?), n. See Paillasse.
Pal"li*ate (?), a. [L. palliatus, fr. pallium a cloak. See Pall the garment.] 1. Covered with a mant&?;e; cloaked; disguised. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section P and Q · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.