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noun Uncommon

atlas

AT-luhs
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Atlas (noun) means a book of maps, often with extra tables, charts, or explanatory text. Example: “She pulled out the old road atlas to plan the route before her phone died.”

noun
1
A book of maps, often with extra tables, charts, or explanatory text.
"She pulled out the old road atlas to plan the route before her phone died."
"The library keeps a large atlas of historical world maps in the reference section."
"The children traced the rivers of Europe in their school atlas."
2
A bound collection of tables, charts, or illustrations covering a particular subject.
"The surgeon consulted an anatomy atlas before the operation."
"His thesis included a small atlas of soil types across the region."
"The botanist published an atlas of wildflowers with a photograph of each species."
3
The topmost bone of the neck, which supports the skull and allows it to nod.
"A hard fall can fracture the atlas and injure the spinal cord."
"The atlas sits directly beneath the skull and lets you nod your head."
"The physiotherapist explained how the atlas connects to the bone below it."

How to use atlas

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA collection of maps (or similar reference charts) bound together like a book — or, in anatomy, the neck bone the skull rests on.

Memory tip

If you picture a giant holding up the world, it's easy to remember why a book of maps of the world is called an atlas.

Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
a road atlas an atlas of the world the atlas vertebra
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Word forms

Plural
atlases, atlantes, atlasses
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She pulled out the old road _____ to plan the route before her phone died.

Etymology

From the Titan Atlas in Greek myth, condemned to carry the sky on his shoulders. The mapmaker Mercator used an image of Atlas holding the globe on the cover of his 16th-century map collection, and the name stuck for any book of maps.

Origin: Greek · First attested 1500

Class of 1500 atlas joined the language around 1500.
acknowledge amok asthma axis bashful
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Synonyms

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map book gazetteer telamon

Related words

gazetteer

Frequently asked questions

What does “atlas” mean?
The word “atlas” means a book of maps, often with extra tables, charts, or explanatory text. In plain terms, a collection of maps (or similar reference charts) bound together like a book — or, in anatomy, the neck bone the skull rests on.
How do you pronounce “atlas”?
“Atlas” is pronounced AT-luhs (/ˈætləs/ in IPA).
How do you use “atlas” in a sentence?
Here is “atlas” used in a sentence: “She pulled out the old road atlas to plan the route before her phone died.”
What part of speech is “atlas”?
“Atlas” is a noun.
Where does the word “atlas” come from?
The word “atlas” dates back to around 1500 and comes from Greek.
Is “atlas” a common word?
“Atlas” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “atlas” have?
“Atlas” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a book of maps, often with extra tables, charts, or explanatory text.
What is the difference between an atlas and a map?
A map is a single representation of an area, while an atlas is a bound book of maps, often supplemented with tables, charts, or explanatory text covering a wider geographic scope. An atlas therefore collects many maps together rather than showing just one.
Why is the neck bone called the atlas?
The topmost bone of the neck is called the atlas because, like the mythological figure who bore the weight of the sky, this bone supports the skull and allows it to nod. It sits at the very top of the spine, directly beneath the head.
Can atlas refer to something other than a book of maps?
Yes, besides a book of maps, atlas can also describe a bound collection of tables, charts, or illustrations on a particular subject, such as an anatomical atlas, as well as the topmost neck bone that supports the skull.

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