Jotun

[yaw-too n]

noun Scandinavian Mythology.

any of a race of giants frequently in conflict with the gods.

Also Jo·tunn, Jö·tunn

[yœ-too n] /ˈyœ tʊn/.

Origin of Jotun

1835–45; < Old Norse jǫtunn giant; cognate with Old English ēoten; akin to eat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for jotun

Historical Examples of jotun

"No such purpose had I," the Jotun said with a touch of surliness.
The Ward of King Canute
Ottilie A. Liljencrantz
The Jotun's voice rumbled hideously as he talked into his goblet.
The Ward of King Canute
Ottilie A. Liljencrantz
They might have served for a table, or maybe a stool, for a Jotun.
King Alfred's Viking
Charles W. Whistler
The next instant, she even drew a little clink from one of the Jotun's silver buttons.
The Ward of King Canute
Ottilie A. Liljencrantz
Her father—Fridtjof—the Jotun—the battle—Her ears were dinned with terrible noises; her eyes were seared by terrible pictures.
The Ward of King Canute
Ottilie A. Liljencrantz

British Dictionary definitions for jotun

Jotun

Jotunn

noun

Norse myth any of a race of giants

Word Origin for Jotun

from Old Norse jötunn giant; related to eat

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for jotun

1842, a word revived from Old Norse jotunn (see ettin).