palladium

• ⇰ Any statue of the goddess Pallas; esp., the famous statue on the preservation of which depended the safety of ancient Troy.
• ⇰ That which affords effectual protection or security; a safeguard; <as>as, the trial by jury is the <ex>palladium</ex> of our civil rights</as>.
• ⇰ 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, with a melting point