platinum
platinum Lexical Profile
platinum Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious silvery-white transition metal (chemical symbol Pt, atomic number 78), widely used in fine jewelry, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts, and catalytic converters.
"Because platinum resists corrosion and high temperatures, it is an essential catalyst in modern industrial chemistry."
A certification or award given to a musical recording that has achieved a high threshold of unit sales (typically one million copies in the United States).
"The band's greatest hits compilation was certified double platinum by the recording industry association."
A pale, metallic grayish-white color or a very pale silvery-blonde shade.
"The interior designer paired charcoal upholstery with accents of brushed platinum."
• adjective
Denoting the highest or most prestigious tier of quality, service, membership, or commercial achievement (typically ranking above gold).
"Their debut album achieved platinum status within six months of its international release."
Having a pale, lustrous grayish-white or silvery-blonde color resembling the metal platinum (especially of hair).
"The actress debuted a striking platinum hairstyle for her role in the upcoming period drama."
• Rhymes for platinum
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 19th century as a Neo-Latin alteration of Spanish platina ('little silver'), a diminutive of plata ('silver' or 'plate'), originally used disparagingly by Spanish conquistadors in Colombia who considered the dense white metal an undesirable impurity in gold deposits.