gas giantn.
/ˌɡas ˈdʒʌɪənt/, U.S. /ˌɡæs ˈdʒaɪənt/ Astronomy.
A large planet of low density composed mostly of hydrogen and helium (predominantly in liquid form), such as Jupiter and Saturn and certain extrasolar planets; (more widely) any large, low-density planet with no distinguishable surface, such as Uranus and Neptune. Cf. ice giant n. 2, giant planet n. at giant n. and adj. Additions.
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1952 J. Blish in J. Merril Beyond Human Ken 106 There was a magnetic field of some strength near by, one that didn't belong to the invisible gas giant revolving half a million miles away.
1965 Listener 22 Apr. 596/1 This is Uranus, the third of the remote gas-giants, much larger than either Earth or Mars.
1973 Times 20 Aug. 15/2 Pluto is probably only the escaped moon of a gas giant planet.
1989 J. L. Casti Paradigms Lost vi. 350 There appears to be a strong tendency toward the formation of a planetary system consisting of a number of smaller inner planets, together with a few outer ‘gas giants’.
2010 Irish Times (Nexis) 2 Dec. 20 The most commonly and easily detected planets are similar to our own gas giants Jupiter and Saturn.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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