palladium

Definition

A safeguard.

Etymology

The sense of "safeguard" comes from Latin Palladium (the image of Pallas that protected Troy), from Ancient Greek Παλλάδιον (Palládion), from Παλλάς (Pallás), an epithet used before Athena.

Example Sentences

• "The trial by jury is the Palladium of our civil rights."
• "[H]ow unspeakably ominous to dim Royalist participators; for whom Royalism was Mankind's palladium[.]"
• "The presupposition of the Prometheus myth is to be found in the extravagant value which a naive humanity attached to fire as the true palladium of every ascending culture."