atlas

noun

at·​las ˈat-ləs 

1

Atlas : a Titan who for his part in the Titans' revolt against the gods is forced by Zeus to support the heavens on his shoulders

2

Atlas : one who bears a heavy burden

3

a

: a bound collection of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter

b

: a bound collection of tables, charts, or plates

4

: the first vertebra of the neck

5

plural usually atlantes ət-ˈlan-(ˌ)tēz 

at-

: a male figure used like a caryatid as a supporting column or pilaster

called also telamon

Illustration of atlas

• atlas 5

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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 Web

An atlas of pathogens Five years ago, a study like this wasn't really possible, says Carlson. —Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026

In an effort to better understand the impact of aging on brain function, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies recently delivered their most comprehensive single-cell atlas detailing epigenetic changes in the brains of mice. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2026

That’s big, but most Atlases will have a 15-inch touch screen — nearly as big as a McDonald’s tray — to manage smartphone, navigation, audio, climate control and more. —Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 31 Mar. 2026

The resulting paper described the cerebral cortex as an atlas of meaning. —Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin Atlant-, Atlas, from Greek

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing atlas

• dialect atlas
• linguistic atlas

Rhymes for atlas

• hatless

Kids Definition

atlas

noun

at·​las ˈat-ləs 

: a book of maps

Etymology

named for Atlas, a giant in Greek mythology

Word Origin

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.

Medical Definition

atlas

noun

at·​las ˈat-ləs 

: the first vertebra of the neck