Jupiter

American  

[joo-pi-ter] / ˈdʒu pɪ tər /

noun

1. Also called Jove.  the supreme deity of the ancient Romans: the god of the heavens and of weather.

2. Astronomy. the planet fifth in order from the sun, having an equatorial diameter of 88,729 miles (142,796 km), a mean distance from the sun of 483.6 million miles (778.3 million km), a period of revolution of 11.86 years, and at least 14 moons. It is the largest planet in the solar system.

3. Military. a medium-range U.S. ballistic missile of the 1950s, powered by a single liquid-fueled rocket engine.

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Jupiter ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒuːpɪtə /

noun

1. Greek counterpart: Zeus.  (in Roman tradition) the king and ruler of the Olympian gods

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Jupiter ² British  

/ ˈdʒuːpɪtə /

noun

1. the largest of the planets and the fifth from the sun. It has 67 satellites and is surrounded by a transient planar ring system consisting of dust particles. Mean distance from sun: 778 million km; period of revolution around sun: 11.86 years; period of axial rotation: 9.83 hours; diameter and mass: 11.2 and 317.9 times that of earth respectively See Galilean satellite

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Jupiter Scientific  

/ jo̅o̅′pĭ-tər /

1. The fifth planet from the Sun and the largest, with a diameter about 11 times that of Earth. Jupiter is a gas giant made up mostly of hydrogen and helium. It turns on its axis faster than any other planet in the solar system, taking less than ten hours to complete one rotation; this rapid rotation draws its atmospheric clouds into distinct belts parallel to its equator. Jupiter has more known moons by far than any other planet in the solar system—as many as 63, with new ones being discovered regularly in recent years—and it has a faint ring system that was unknown until 1979, when the Voyager space probe investigated the planet. A persistent anticyclonic storm known as the Great Red Spot is Jupiter's most prominent feature.

2. See Table at solar system

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Jupiter ¹ Cultural  

1. In astronomy, the largest planet in the solar system; the fifth major planet from the sun. Jupiter is largely composed of gas es. It is named after the ruler of the Roman gods (see under “Mythology and Folklore”). Jupiter is visible from Earth.

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Jupiter ² Cultural  

1. The Roman name of Zeus, the most powerful of the gods of classical mythology.

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Discover More

The fifth and largest planet from the sun (the Earth is third) is named Jupiter.

Compare meaning

How does jupiter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Jupiter vs. Zeus

Example Sentences

Jupiter has nearly 100 known moons, but Europa continues to stand out as one of the most compelling.

From Science Daily

The planet has a mass about 22 percent that of Jupiter and lies roughly 3,000 parsecs from the center of the Milky Way.

From Science Daily

Four can be seen by the naked eye: Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and Mercury.

From BBC

With a mass comparable to Jupiter, the planet is shrouded in dark soot-like clouds.

From Science Daily

Mars' location in the solar system -- its distance from the Sun, its neighbors like Earth, the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn -- forces it into a more elongated and eccentric orbit.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• earth