Titan
[tahyt-n]
- Classical Mythology.
- any of the sons of Uranus and Gaea, including Coeus, Crius, Cronus, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Oceanus.
- Also Ti·tan·ess.any of the sisters of these, including Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Rhea, Tethys, Themis, and Thia.
- any of the offspring of the children of Uranus and Gaea.
- the Titan, Helios.
- Astronomy. one of the moons of Saturn.
- (usually lowercase) a person or thing of enormous size, strength, power, influence, etc.: a titan of industry.
- Military. a two-stage, liquid-fueled U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile in service since the late 1950s and designed for launch from underground silos.
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- (lowercase) titanic2(def 2).
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Origin of Titan
1400–50; late Middle English: the sun, Helios < Latin Tītān < Greek Tītā́n
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
behemothmountainwhoppermonstercolossushulkbulkmammothelephantwhaleGoliathogreleviathanHerculescyclopsjumboExamples from the Web for titans
Contemporary Examples
What does masculinity look like in a world where men and women alike can be titans?
Kip Pardue What you remember him from: Playing Sunshine, the new guy with long hair in Remember the Titans.
In those days, the hard right had no real influence among the titans of corporate America.
The Titans ended up with the ball back in their hands on their 12-yard line with 1:48 to go.
The new team, which initially called itself the Titans, soon became the more modern Jets.
Historical Examples
Legions of Titans couldn't have got him out of the mud; and serve him right!
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
It was a true war of Titans, with the whole world for spectators.
Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2)Charles James Lever
In the struggle with the Titans, Prometheus was on the side of Zeus.
Christianity As A Mystical FactRudolf Steiner
By his advice, Zeus banished the Titans to the nether-world.
Christianity As A Mystical FactRudolf Steiner
When they war, they hurl millions at each other, as the Titans did mountains.
titan
- a person of great strength or size
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Word Origin
C17: from Titan 1
Titan1
feminine Titaness
- any of a family of primordial gods, the sons and daughters of Uranus (sky) and Gaea (earth)
- any of the offspring of the children of Uranus and Gaea
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Titan2
- the largest satellite of the planet Saturn, having a thick atmosphere consisting mainly of nitrogen. Diameter: 5150 km
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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 titans
titan
n.
early 15c., from Latin Titan, from Greek Titan, member of a mythological race of giants who attempted to scale heaven by piling Mount Pelion on Mount Ossa but were overthrown by Zeus and the gods. They descended from Titan, elder brother of Kronos. Perhaps from tito "sun, day," which is probably a loan-word from a language of Asia Minor. Sense of "person or thing of enormous size" first recorded 1828. Applied to planet Saturn's largest satellite in 1868; it was discovered 1655 by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, who named it Saturni Luna "moon of Saturn."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Titans
The gods in classical mythology who ruled the universe until they were overthrown by Zeus. Atlas and Prometheus were Titans.
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Note
Any great and powerful person can be called a “titan.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.