atlante

atlas

noun aht-LAHN-teh Rare

Origin: Named after the Titan Atlas, who bore the heavens on his shoulders; early map collections showed Atlas on the cover.

Usage Note

Atlante means a book of maps or, in anatomy, the first cervical vertebra (also called atlante) that supports the skull. The plural is atlanti. The mythological Titan Atlante (Atlas) who holds up the sky is the origin of both the geographical meaning and the architectural term atlante (a male figure used as a column support, equivalent to English 'atlas' or 'telamon').

Examples

"Cerchiamo la città sull'atlante geografico."

Natural Translation

We look for the city in the geographical atlas.

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