1. (Rom. Myth.) The supreme deity, king of gods and men, and reputed to
be the son of Saturn and Rhea; Jove. He corresponds to the Greek Zeus.
2. (Astron.) One of the planets, being the brightest except Venus, and
the largest of them all, its mean diameter being about 85,000 miles. It
revolves about the sun in 4,332.6 days, at a mean distance of 5.2028
from the sun, the earth's mean distance being taken as unity.
Jupiter's beard. (Bot.) (a) A South European herb, with cymes of small
red blossoms (Centranthus ruber). (b) The houseleek (Sempervivum
tectorum); -- so called from its massive inflorescence, like the
sculptured beard of Jove. Prior. (c) the cloverlike Anthyllis
Barba-Jovis. -- Jupiter's staff (Bot.), the common mullein; -- so
called from its long, rigid spike of yellow blossoms.
{ Ju*pon" (?), Jup*pon" (?), } n. [F. jupon, fr. jupe skirt, Sp. aljuba
a Moorish garment, Ar. jubba.] [Written variously jupe, jump, juppo,
etc.]
1. A sleeveless jacket worn over the armor in the 14th century. It
fitted closely, and descended below the hips. Dryden.