Uranus

[ yoor-uh-nuhs, yoo-rey- ]

noun

1. Astronomy. the planet seventh in order from the sun, having an equatorial diameter of 32,600 miles (56,460 km), a mean distance from the sun of 1,784 million miles (2,871 million km), a period of revolution of 84.07 years, and 15 moons.
2. Also Classical Mythology. the personification of Heaven and ruler of the world, son and husband of Gaia (Earth) and father of the Titans, who was castrated and dethroned by his youngest son, Cronus, at the instigation of Gaia.

Uranus

¹

/ jʊˈreɪnəs; ˈjʊrənəs /

noun

1. Greek myth the personification of the sky, who, as a god, ruled the universe and fathered the Titans and Cyclopes on his wife and mother Gaea (earth). He was overthrown by his son Cronus

Uranus

²

/ ˈjʊrənəs; jʊˈreɪnəs /

noun

1. one of the giant planets, the seventh planet from the sun, sometimes visible to the naked eye. It has 27 satellites, a ring system, and an axis of rotation almost lying in the plane of the orbit. Mean distance from sun: 2870 million km; period of revolution around sun: 84 years; period of axial rotation: 17.23 hours; diameter and mass: 4 and 14.5 times that of earth respectively

Uranus

/ yr′ə-nəs,y-rā′- /

1. The seventh planet from the Sun and the third largest, with a diameter about four times that of Earth. Though slightly larger than Nepture, Uranus is the least massive of the four gas giants and is the only one with no internal heat source. A cloud layer of frozen methane gives it a faint bluish-green color, and it is encircled by a thin system of 11 rings and 27 moons. Uranus's axis is tilted 98° from the vertical—the greatest such tilt in the solar system—with the result that its poles are in continuous darkness or continuous sunlight for nearly half of its 84-year orbital period.
2. See Table at solar system

Uranus

1. In astronomy , the seventh major planet from the sun , named for the Greek god of the sky. Uranus was the first planet discovered in modern times (1781). ( See solar system .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Uranus¹

From Latin Ūranus, from Greek Ouranós; Uranus def 2 was first recorded in 1700–10, and Uranus def 1 in 1780–85

Word History and Origins

Origin of Uranus¹

C19: from Latin Ūranus , from Greek Ouranos heaven

Example Sentences

The planet Uranus and its five biggest moons may not be the dead sterile worlds that scientists have long thought.

From BBC

Taking advantage of a gravitational convergence of four planets that occurs only once every 176 years, the spacecraft soared past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

From New York Times

On the other hand, Uranus is oriented a whopping 97.8 degrees from vertical, causing one of its poles to point directly at the sun at times.

From New York Times

The parade will start June 3, when Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will be aligned, according to Star Walk Astronomical News, a planetarium phone app.

From Los Angeles Times

The team also measured sulfur dioxide, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide -- and found WASP-107 b has more heavy elements than Uranus and Neptune.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• earth