giant, n. [OE. giant, geant, geaunt, OF. jaiant, geant, F. géant, L. gigas, fr. Gr. , , from the root of E. gender, genesis. See Gender, and cf. Gigantic.].

A man of extraordinari bulk and stature. [1913 Webster]
"Giants of mighty bone and bold emprise." Milton. [1913 Webster]
A person of extraordinary strength or powers, bodily or intellectual. [1913 Webster]
Any animal, plant, or thing, of extraordinary size or power. [1913 Webster]

Giant's Causeway, a vast collection of basaltic pillars, in the county of Antrim on the northern coast of Ireland.

giant, a.

Like a giant; extraordinary in size, strength, or power; as, giant brothers; a giant son. [1913 Webster]

Giant cell. (Anat.) See Myeloplax. -- Giant clam (Zoöl.), a bivalve shell of the genus Tridacna, esp. T. gigas, which sometimes weighs 500 pounds. The shells are sometimes used in churches to contain holy water. -- Giant heron (Zoöl.), a very large African heron (Ardeomega goliath). It is the largest heron known. -- Giant kettle, a pothole of very large dimensions, as found in Norway in connection with glaciers. See Pothole. -- Giant powder. See Nitroglycerin. -- Giant puffball (Bot.), a fungus (Lycoperdon giganteum), edible when young, and when dried used for stanching wounds. -- Giant salamander (Zoöl.), a very large aquatic salamander (Megalobatrachus maximus), found in Japan. It is the largest of living Amphibia, becoming a yard long. -- Giant squid (Zoöl.), one of several species of very large squids, belonging to Architeuthis and allied genera. Some are over forty feet long.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

giant, n. & adj.
--n.
1 an imaginary or mythical being of human form but superhuman size.
2 (in Greek mythology) one of such beings who fought against the gods.
3 an abnormally tall or large person, animal, or plant.
4 a person of exceptional ability, integrity, courage, etc.
5 a large star.
--attrib.adj.
1 of extraordinary size or force, gigantic; monstrous.
2 colloq. extra large (giant packet).
3 (of a plant or animal) of a very large kind.

Idiom

giant-killer a person who defeats a seemingly much more powerful opponent.

Derivative

giantism n. giant-like adj.

Etymology

ME geant (later infl. by L) f. OF, ult. f. L gigas gigant- f. Gk

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THESAURUS

giant

Amazon, Antaeus, Atlantean, Atlas, Briareus, Brobdingnagian, Charles Atlas, Cyclopean, Cyclops, Gargantua, Gargantuan, Goliath, Herculean, Hercules, Homeric, Orion, Polyphemus, Samson, Superman, Tarzan, Titan, abysmal, amazon, astronomic, bean pole, behemoth, bully, bullyboy, colossal, colossus, cyclopean, cyclops, elephantine, enormous, epic, gangling, gangly, gargantuan, giantlike, gigantic, gorilla, grenadier, gross, heroic, huge, hulking, immense, infinite, jumbo, lank, lanky, leggy, lengthy, leviathan, long, long-legged, longlegs, longshanks, mammoth, mighty, monster, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, muscle man, ogre, powerhouse, prodigious, profound, rangy, seven-footer, stalwart, statuesque, strong man, strong-arm man, stupendous, superhuman, tall, the mighty, the strong, titan, titanic, tough, tough guy, tower of strength, towering, tremendous, vast, whale

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ROGET THESAURUS

giant

Size

N size, magnitude, dimension, bulk, volume, largeness, greatness, expanse, amplitude, mass, proportions, capacity, tonnage, tunnage, cordage, caliber, scantling, turgidity, corpulence, obesity, plumpness, embonpoint, corporation, flesh and blood, lustihood, hugeness, enormity, immensity, monstrosity, giant, Brobdingnagian, Antaeus, Goliath, Gog and Magog, Gargantua, monster, mammoth, Cyclops, cachalot, whale, porpoise, behemoth, leviathan, elephant, hippopotamus, colossus, tun, cord, lump, bulk, block, loaf, mass, swad, clod, nugget, bushel, thumper, whooper, spanker, strapper, Triton among the minnows, mountain, mound, heap, largest portion, full size, life size, large, big, great, considerable, bulky, voluminous, ample, massive, massy, capacious, comprehensive, spacious, mighty, towering, fine, magnificent, corpulent, stout, fat, obese, plump, squab, full, lusty, strapping, bouncing, portly, burly, well-fed, full-grown, corn fed, gram fed, stalwart, brawny, fleshy, goodly, in good case, in good condition, in condition, chopping, jolly, chub faced, chubby faced, lubberly, hulky, unwieldy, lumpish, gaunt, spanking, whacking, whopping, walloping, thumping, thundering, hulking, overgrown, puffy, huge, immense, enormous, mighty, vast, vasty, amplitudinous, stupendous, monster, monstrous, humongous, monumental, elephantine, jumbo, mammoth, gigantic, gigantean, giant, giant like, titanic, prodigious, colossal, Cyclopean, Brobdingnagian, Bunyanesque, Herculean, Gargantuan, infinite, large as life, plump as a dumpling, plump as a partridge, fat as a pig, fat as a quail, fat as butter, fat as brawn, fat as bacon, immeasurable, unfathomable, unplumbed, inconceivable, unimaginable, unheard-of, of cosmic proportions, of epic proportions, the mother of all, teh granddaddy of all, size, magnitude, dimension, bulk, volume, largeness, greatness, expanse, amplitude, mass, proportions, capacity, tonnage, tunnage, cordage, caliber, scantling, turgidity, corpulence, obesity, plumpness, embonpoint, corporation, flesh and blood, lustihood, hugeness, enormity, immensity, monstrosity, giant, Brobdingnagian, Antaeus, Goliath, Gog and Magog, Gargantua, monster, mammoth, Cyclops, cachalot, whale, porpoise, behemoth, leviathan, elephant, hippopotamus, colossus, tun, cord, lump, bulk, block, loaf, mass, swad, clod, nugget, bushel, thumper, whooper, spanker, strapper, Triton among the minnows, mountain, mound, heap, largest portion, full size, life size, large, big, great, considerable, bulky, voluminous, ample, massive, massy, capacious, comprehensive, spacious, mighty, towering, fine, magnificent, corpulent, stout, fat, obese, plump, squab, full, lusty, strapping, bouncing, portly, burly, well-fed, full-grown, corn fed, gram fed, stalwart, brawny, fleshy, goodly, in good case, in good condition, in condition, chopping, jolly, chub faced, chubby faced, lubberly, hulky, unwieldy, lumpish, gaunt, spanking, whacking, whopping, walloping, thumping, thundering, hulking, overgrown, puffy, huge, immense, enormous, mighty, vast, vasty, amplitudinous, stupendous, monster, monstrous, humongous, monumental, elephantine, jumbo, mammoth, gigantic, gigantean, giant, giant like, titanic, prodigious, colossal, Cyclopean, Brobdingnagian, Bunyanesque, Herculean, Gargantuan, infinite, large as life, plump as a dumpling, plump as a partridge, fat as a pig, fat as a quail, fat as butter, fat as brawn, fat as bacon, immeasurable, unfathomable, unplumbed, inconceivable, unimaginable, unheard-of, of cosmic proportions, of epic proportions, the mother of all, teh granddaddy of all.

Height

N height, altitude, elevation, eminence, pitch, loftiness, sublimity, tallness, stature, procerity, prominence, colossus, giant, grenadier, giraffe, camelopard, mount, mountain, hill alto, butte, monticle, fell, knap, cape, headland, foreland, promontory, ridge, hog's back, dune, rising ground, vantage ground, down, moor, moorland, Alp, uplands, highlands, heights, knob, loma, pena, picacho, tump, knoll, hummock, hillock, barrow, mound, mole, steeps, bluff, cliff, craig, tor, peak, pike, clough, escarpment, edge, ledge, brae, dizzy height, tower, pillar, column, obelisk, monument, steeple, spire, minaret, campanile, turret, dome, cupola, skyscraper, pole, pikestaff, maypole, flagstaff, top mast, topgallant mast, ceiling, high water, high tide, flood tide, spring tide, altimetry, batophobia, satellite, spy-in-the-sky, high, elevated, eminent, exalted, lofty, tall, gigantic, Patagonian, towering, beetling, soaring, hanging (gardens), elevated, upper, highest, high reaching, insessorial, perching, upland, moorland, hilly, knobby, mountainous, alpine, subalpine, heaven kissing, cloudtopt, cloudcapt, cloudtouching, aerial, overhanging, incumbent, overlying, superincumbent, supernatant, superimposed, prominent, tall as a maypole, tall as a poplar, tall as a steeple, lanky, on high, high up, aloft, up, above, aloof, overhead, airwind, upstairs, abovestairs, in the clouds, on tiptoe, on stilts, on the shoulders of, over head and ears, breast high, over, upwards, from top to bottom, e meglio cader dalle finistre che dal tetto.

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