I.a giant; usually in plur.: Gĭgantes , um, m., = Γίγαντες, the fabled sons of Earth and Tartarus, giants with snakes for legs, who stormed the heavens, but were smitten by Jupiter with lightning and buried under Ætna.—Sing., Ov. P. 2, 10, 24; acc. giganta, Stat. Th. 5, 569; Mart. 9, 51, 6: “gigantem,” Vulg. Sirach, 47, 4.—Plur., Ov. F. 5, 35; id. M. 1, 152; 5, 319; Hor. C. 2, 19, 22; Cic. N. D. 2, 28, 70: “gigantum more bellare,” id. de Sen. 2, 5; Hyg. Fab. praef. (cf. also Verg. G. 1, 278 sq.); Prop. 3, 5, 39 (dub.; “Müll. nocentum,” id. 4, 4, 39).—
II. Deriv. Gĭgan-tēus , a, um, adj., of or belonging to the giants: “bellum,” Ov. Tr. 2, 71: “sanguis,” Verg. Cul. 27: “triumphus,” Hor. C. 3, 1, 7: “tropaea,” Ov. F. 5, 555: ora litoris, i. e. at Cumœ, in Campania (where, according to the myth, the giants dwelt in the Phlegræan Fields, and fought with the gods), Prop. 1, 20, 9 (cf. Sil. 12, 143 sq.): “genus,” Vulg. Num. 13, 34.—
2. Transf., gigantic: “corpus,” Sil. 5, 436.
