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

First popularized in John Ogilby’s Britannia atlas of 1698, strip maps are oriented to a trip’s start and end points, and narrowly follow convenient highways, rail lines, or flight paths. —Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026

Drivers referred to road atlases or marked routes on giant maps. —Gabe Hiatt, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2026

The atlas is based on the results of turning on or off genes across 200 cell lines, including lines used to study heart disease, neurologic disorders, immune conditions, and cancer. —Ed Silverman, STAT, 14 Jan. 2026

More than 4,000 digital Atlases trained for six hours in simulation. —Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 5 Jan. 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