: a male figure used like a caryatid as a supporting column or pilaster
called alsotelamon
Illustration of atlas
atlas 5
Did you know?
Word History of Atlas
In Greek mythology, giants ruled the world in an early age. Their rule was overthrown after a mighty battle with other gods. Atlas was one of these giants, and after their defeat, the story goes, he was forced to hold up the sky on his shoulders. In the 16th century, the Flemish mapmaker Gerardus Mercator published a collection of maps. On the title page he showed a picture of Atlas supporting his burden. Mercator gave the book the title Atlas. Later collections of maps included similar pictures of Atlas, and came to be called atlases.
Examples of atlas in a Sentence
a road atlas of the U.S.
Recent Examples on the WebAdvertisement Mackinnon now keeps the atlas locked away.—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024 It is based on an atlas of the occupation of Amsterdam by his wife, the Dutch journalist and historian Bianca Stigter.—Siddhartha Mitter, New York Times, 10 May 2024 According to his doctors, Rylan experienced a C1 Jefferson type 3 break involving the C1 vertebra, also known as the atlas, that holds the neck upright.—David Chiu, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024 This atlas of the body, as known through the senses, tells a child where skin ends and the world begins.—Chip Colwell, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for atlas
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atlas.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Atlas was one of the giants of Greek mythology who ruled the world in an early age. Their rule was overthrown after a mighty battle with other gods. After his defeat, the story goes, Atlas was forced to hold up the sky on his shoulders. In the 16th century the Flemish mapmaker Gerardus Mercator published a collection of maps. On the title page he showed a picture of Atlas supporting his burden. Mercator gave the book the title Atlas. Later collections of maps included similar pictures of Atlas, and such books came to be called atlases.
Share