gas giant
gas giant — noun
1. a very large planet whose body is built mainly from light gases like hydrogen an
a very large planet whose body is built mainly from light gases like hydrogen and helium, with no solid surface to stand on; Jupiter and Saturn are the two best-known ones.
Through the telescope, Aoi pointed at Jupiter, a gas giant with no rocky ground.
naming the prototypical example (Jupiter) of the class
Saturn is a gas giant, so a spacecraft could never land on its swirling clouds.
predicative: [planet] is a gas giant
The four gas giants in our solar system are far larger than the rocky inner planets.
Scientists believe a gas giant pulls smaller moons into orbit with its huge gravity.
Andrés wrote a school report on how a gas giant forms from clouds of hydrogen.
- giant planet
broader cover term; includes ice giants like Neptune
- terrestrial planet
a small rocky planet such as Earth
用法筆記
Almost always used in astronomy contexts to group Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Contrast with 'terrestrial planet' (a rocky planet like Earth or Mars).
常見錯誤
2. a very large business that supplies gas as fuel so that homes and factories can
a very large business that supplies gas as fuel so that homes and factories can heat rooms and cook, often controlling a big share of the market.
The gas giant raised its winter prices, and thousands of families struggled to pay the bills.
subject is a large energy company
Gita reported that the gas giant had earned record profits during the cold months.
Two gas giants now control most of the heating fuel sold across the country.
The government warned the gas giant to lower its charges or face a heavy fine.
- energy giant
wider term; covers firms selling electricity too
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (the planet): this sense always refers to a company and appears in business or news writing about energy prices. The word 'gas' here means heating fuel, not the gases that form a planet.