GAS GIANT Definition & Meaning

gas giant

[ gas jahy-uhnt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Astronomy.

a giant planet composed mostly of hydrogen and helium: the two gas giants in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, are sometimes called failed stars because their composition is similar to that of stars, but this is largely considered misleading, as gas giants, unlike brown dwarfs, do not form as stars do. Compare ice giant ( def ).

gas giant

noun

one of the four planets in our solar system that are composed chiefly of hydrogen and helium, namely Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

gas giant

A large, massive, low-density planet composed primarily of hydrogen, helium, methane, and ammonia in either gaseous or liquid state. Gas giants have swirling atmospheres primarily of hydrogen and helium, with no well-defined planetary surface; they are assumed to have rocky cores. They are also characterized by ring systems, although only Saturn's is readily visible from Earth. Our solar system contains four gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The majority of extrasolar planets discovered so far are the size of the solar system's gas giants, although they orbit their stars much more closely and may differ in composition from ours.
Also called Jovian planet
Compare terrestrial planet

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of gas giant¹

First recorded in 1950–55

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of gas giant¹

C20: coined by James Blish (1921–75), US science fiction writer

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Example Sentences

The oil and gas giants: Europe finally realized that buying gas from a lunatic might not be the best long-term strategy.

From

A deal with Russian gas giant Gazprom to transit energy through Ukraine to Slovakia is due to expire at the end of this year.

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But despite the fact that most oil and gas giants have announced large-scale PtX projects, very few of them allocate more than a fraction of their investments towards PtX.

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It will get a gravity assist by sling-shotting around Mars early next year, then boomerang back around Earth in late 2026 before zooming toward the gas giant and its icy, dynamic moon.

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Oil and gas giants BP and Equinor will be among the firms providing private sector funding for the projects, she said, adding that other countries "would love to get this sort of investment".

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