Platinum
/ˈplætɪnəm/noun
A dense, gray-white precious metal valued for its rarity and resistance to corrosion.
Did you know?The name was coined in Spanish from platina, a diminutive of plata (“silver”), because early miners in South America found it annoyingly similar to silver and not easy to refine.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Rome
Latin
platta
“a flat plate or slab”
Medieval Latin
Latin
plattus
“flat”
Old French
Old French
plate
“flat, a plate of metal”
16th Century
Spanish
platina
“little silver; a small piece of silver”
18th Century
English
platinum
“the metal platinum, adopted from Spanish”