English Reference
noun

titan

n.
US /ˈtaɪtən/ UK /tˈaɪtən/ ti·tan UK spelling titans

  1. 01 C2 Proficiency Literary

    one of a family of giant gods in ancient Greek stories who ruled the world before the Olympian gods.

    any of the primordial giant deities who preceded the Olympian gods and were eventually overthrown by them.

    Simple

    In the old myths, the Titan Atlas was forced to hold up the sky on his shoulders.

    In context

    The poet drew a parallel between the suffering of the Titan Prometheus and the struggles of modern humanity.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Science

    the largest moon of the planet Saturn.

    the largest natural satellite of Saturn, notable for its dense atmosphere and nitrogen-rich composition.

    Simple

    Scientists are interested in Titan because it has clouds and liquid on its surface.

    In context

    The Huygens probe successfully landed on Titan, providing the first detailed images of the moon's icy, methane-carved landscape.


From Ancient Greek Τιτάν (Titán).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Ancient Greek Τιτάν
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated