atlases
ləs noun, plural at·las·es for 1–3, at·lan·tes 
[at-lan-teez] , for 5.
[at-lan-teez] , for 5. 1.
a bound collection of maps.
2.
a bound volume of charts, plates, or tables illustrating any subject.
3.
Anatomy. the first cervical vertebra, which supports the head.
4.
a size of drawing or writing paper, 26 × 34 or 33 inches.
5.
Also called telamon. Architecture. a sculptural figure of a man used as a column.
Compare caryatid.
Origin:
1580–90 in sense “prop, support”; as name for a collection of maps, said to be from illustrations of Atlas supporting the globe in early books of this kind
1580–90 in sense “prop, support”; as name for a collection of maps, said to be from illustrations of Atlas supporting the globe in early books of this kind
00:10
Atlases
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun, plural At·las·es for 2, 4.
1.
Classical Mythology. a Titan, son of Iapetus and brother of Prometheus and Epimetheus, condemned to support the sky on his shoulders: identified by the ancients with the Atlas Mountains.
2.
a person who supports a heavy burden; a mainstay.
3.
Charles ( Angelo Siciliano ) 1894–1972, U.S. body-building advocate, born in Italy.
4.
a liquid-propellant booster rocket, originally developed as the first U.S. ICBM, used with Agena or Centaur upper stages to launch satellites into orbit around the earth and send probes to the moon and planets; also used to launch the Mercury spacecraft into orbit around the earth.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To atlases
Collins
World English Dictionary
atlas (ˈætləs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , atlantes | |
| 1. | a collection of maps, usually in book form |
| 2. | a book of charts, graphs, etc, illustrating aspects of a subject: an anatomical atlas |
| 3. | anatomy Compare axis the first cervical vertebra, attached to and supporting the skull in man |
| 4. | architect another name for telamon |
| 5. | a standard size of drawing paper, 26 × 17 inches |
| [C16: via Latin from Greek; first applied to maps, from depictions of Atlas supporting the heavens in 16th-century collections of maps] | |
| Atlas (ˈætləs) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | Greek myth a Titan compelled to support the sky on his shoulders as punishment for rebelling against Zeus |
| 2. | a US intercontinental ballistic missile, also used in launching spacecraft |
| 3. | astronomy a small satellite of Saturn, discovered in 1980 |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
Atlas
1580s, Titan, son of Iapetus and Clymene, supposed to uphold the pillars of heaven, which was his punishment for being the war leader of the Titans in the struggle with the Olympian gods. The name perhaps means lit. "The Bearer (of the Heavens)," from stem of tlenai "to bear." Mount Atlas, in Mauritania,
was important in Gk. cosmology as a support of the heavens.
atlas
"collection of maps in a volume," 1636, first in reference to the English translation of "Atlas, sive cosmographicae meditationes de fabrica mundi" (1585) by Flemish geographer Gerhardus Mercator (1512-1594), who might have been the first to use this word in this way. A picture of the Titan
Atlas holding up the world appeared on the frontispiece of this and other early map collections.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
atlas at·las (āt'ləs)
n.
The top or first cervical vertebra of the neck, supporting the skull and articulating with the occipital bone and rotating around the dens of the axis.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
Atlas definition
In classical mythology, a Titan famous for his strength. After the defeat of the Titans by Zeus, Atlas was condemned to support the Earth and sky on his shoulders for eternity.
Note: Since the sixteenth century, pictures of Atlas and his burden have been used as decorations on maps. Accordingly, the word atlas is used for a book of maps.
Note: An “Atlas” or “atlas” is an incredibly strong person or one who carries an enormous burden.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| ATLAS [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Nearby Words
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