gas giant

/gæs ˌdʒaɪənt/

Other forms: gas giants

Definitions of gas giant

1. noun

   any of the four outermost planets in the solar system; much larger than Earth and gaseous in nature (like Jupiter)
   synonyms: Jovian planet

   examples:

   Jupiter

   the largest planet and the 5th from the sun; has many satellites and is one of the brightest objects in the night sky

   Neptune

   a giant planet with a ring of ice particles; the 8th planet from the sun is the most remote of the gas giants

   Saturn

   a giant planet that is surrounded by three planar concentric rings of ice particles; the 6th planet from the sun

   Uranus

   a giant planet with a ring of ice particles; the 7th planet from the sun has a blue-green color and many satellites

   type of:

   major planet, planet

   (astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in order of their proximity to the sun; viewed from the constellation Hercules, all the planets rotate around the sun in a counterclockwise direction