An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A silvery white metal which belongs to the → platinum group elements, symbol Pd. → Atomic weight 106.4, → atomic number 46, → melting point 1554.9 °C, → boiling point 2963 °C. It is used in alloys and as a catalyst.

Named 1803 by discoverer William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828), after the asteroid → Pallas, which was discovered at about the same time.