Giants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Colossal entities from folklore revered for their great height and power
2. Remarkable individuals distinguished by their exceptional skills or talents across various domains
3. Massive creatures of legend famed for their towering size ; persons known for outstanding abilities or impact in their field

Etymology: The Greek "gigas" was the name for the giants of myth, the huge, earth-born beings who fought the gods, and the word's own story starts in that ancient tale. Greek "gigas" is the root of "giant," which reached English through Old French "geant" and Middle English "geaunt," largely pushing aside the older Old English words "ent," "eoten," and "þyrs" that once named such creatures. Only the Old English "ent" survives today, in the name of the tree-herders of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." The Greek root has a surprising cousin. "Gigas" is related to the prefix "giga-," meaning a billion, which is itself a modern scientific coinage built on the same Greek stem. The link is not a matter of meaning: a "giga" unit is large in quantity, while the giants of legend are large in body, but both draw on a single old word for enormity. Plural "giants" is simply the plural of "giant," used for the mythical beings and, figuratively, for people of exceptional achievement.

Synonyms: titans, colossi, behemoths, goliaths, juggernauts

Antonyms: dwarfs, minnows, tiny, weaklings, small fry