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Intermediate Dictionary
     

at·las

atlas

 
 
pronunciation:
aet lihs
features:
Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition 1: (cap.) a giant in Greek mythology who had to support the heavens on his shoulders.
definition 2: a book of maps, tables, or charts.
We turned to the page in the atlas that showed a map of Canada.
Word History
Greek mythology tells of a giant whose punishment was to hold up the universe on his shoulders. This giant's name was Atlas. Artists drew pictures of Atlas holding up a globe that was meant to be the heavens. In the 1600s, a mapmaker named Mercator used such a picture on the cover of his book of maps. A collection of maps became known as an "atlas."
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  book, geography, myth