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At·las

(ătləs)

1. Greek Mythology A Titan condemned by Zeus to support the heavens upon his shoulders.

2. atlas A person who supports a great burden.

[Greek Atlās; see telə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

(click for a larger image)

Atlas

statue at the

Linderhof Palace

Ettal, Germany

at·las

(ătləs)

n. pl. at·las·es

1. A book or bound collection of maps, sometimes with supplementary illustrations and graphic analyses.

2. A volume of tables, charts, or plates that systematically illustrates a particular subject: an anatomical atlas.

3. A large size of drawing paper, measuring 26 × 33 or 26 × 34 inches.

4. pl. at·lan·tes (ăt-lăntēz) Architecture A standing or kneeling figure of a man used as a supporting column, as for an entablature or balcony. Also called telamon.

5. Anatomy The top or first cervical vertebra of the neck, which supports the skull.

[After ATLAS. Sense 1, probably from depictions of Atlas holding the world on his shoulders that appeared on the frontispieces of early works of this kind.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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