Astr. an. L. Ūranus, a. Gr. Οὐρανός husband of Gæa (Earth) and father of Cronos (Saturn).] The most remote but one of the planets, situated between Saturn and Neptune.
Discovered in 1781 by Sir Wm. Herschel, who named it ‘the Georgium sidus,’ ‘the Georgian planet.’ The name Uranus was first proposed by Bode, in conformity with other planetary names from classical mythology.
1802. O. Gregory, Treat. Astron., 128. By some astronomers it is called Herschel, in honour of the discoverer; though among almost all foreigners, it has acquired the name of uranius [sic], which it is likely to retain.
1822. Encycl. Metrop. (1845), III. 498/1. Both these appellations are, however, now nearly become extinct, that of Uranus being almost universally adopted.
1860. Olmsted, Mech. Heavens, 267. Uranus was the remotest known planet…, until the discovery of … Neptune.
