Atlanta

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A major city in the southeastern United States known for its role as a cultural and economic center
2. The capital of the state of Georgia and a hub for transportation and commerce
3. A city famous for its significant contributions to civil rights, education, and the entertainment industry

Etymology: The city's name is widely traced to the railroad era. In 1837, the Western and Atlantic Railroad was surveyed to connect the Atlantic seaboard with the Tennessee River, and its terminus settlement was first called Terminus, then Marthasville after the daughter of Georgia governor Wilson Lumpkin. The name was changed to Atlanta in 1847, a feminine form of "Atlantic" that fit the railway's direction toward the Atlantic Ocean. The source treats the name as supposedly a feminine form of "Atlantic," and the railroad link is the usual explanation for that form. The "-a" ending follows the pattern of place names built on a rail or ocean reference, though the exact reasoning behind the choice is not recorded in a single authoritative document.

Synonyms: capital of georgia, atlanta city