map

A map is a diagram of a place, showing roads and highways and natural features like lakes, rivers, and mountains. When your dad stops the car, sighs, and pulls out his map, you are probably lost.

As more and more people rely on electronic devices to get directions, the art of reading a map is becoming lost. A map can illustrate roads, stars in the galaxy, or even the genes in a human chromosome. When you map something, you sketch it or plan the route or steps you will take, like mapping out your future. A Latin root of map is mappa, or "napkin," as in something you'd sketch a map on.

Definitions of map
  1. noun
    a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)
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    types:
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    chart
    a map designed to assist navigation by air or sea
    choropleth map
    a map that uses graded differences in shading or color or the placing of symbols inside defined areas on the map in order to indicate the average values of some property or quantity in those areas
    contour map, relief map
    a map having contour lines through points of equal elevation
    plat
    a map showing planned or actual features of an area (streets and building lots etc.)
    road map
    a map showing roads (for automobile travel)
    sketch map
    a map drawn from observation (rather than from exact measurements) and representing the main features of an area
    weather chart, weather map
    (meteorology) a map showing the principal meteorological elements at a given time and over an extended region
    naval chart, navigational chart, pilot chart
    a chart for a navigator showing the prevailing meteorological and hydrographic and navigational conditions
    wind rose
    weather map showing the frequency and strength of winds from different directions
    type of:
    representation
    a creation that is a visual or tangible rendering of someone or something
  2. noun
    (mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function)
    synonyms: function, mapping, mathematical function, single-valued function
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    types:
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    multinomial, polynomial
    a mathematical function that is the sum of a number of terms
    expansion
    a function expressed as a sum or product of terms
    inverse function
    a function obtained by expressing the dependent variable of one function as the independent variable of another; f and g are inverse functions if f(x)=y and g(y)=x
    Kronecker delta
    a function of two variables i and j that equals 1 when i=j and equals 0 otherwise
    metric, metric function
    a function of a topological space that gives, for any two points in the space, a value equal to the distance between them
    transformation
    (mathematics) a function that changes the position or direction of the axes of a coordinate system
    isometry
    a one-to-one mapping of one metric space into another metric space that preserves the distances between each pair of points
    operator
    (mathematics) a symbol or function representing a mathematical operation
    circular function, trigonometric function
    function of an angle expressed as a ratio of the length of the sides of right-angled triangle containing the angle
    threshold function
    a function that takes the value 1 if a specified function of the arguments exceeds a given threshold and 0 otherwise
    exponential, exponential function
    a function in which an independent variable appears as an exponent
    biquadratic, biquadratic polynomial, quartic polynomial
    a polynomial of the fourth degree
    homogeneous polynomial
    a polynomial consisting of terms all of the same degree
    monic polynomial
    a polynomial in one variable
    quadratic, quadratic polynomial
    a polynomial of the second degree
    series
    (mathematics) the sum of a finite or infinite sequence of expressions
    reflection
    (mathematics) a transformation in which the direction of one axis is reversed
    rotation
    (mathematics) a transformation in which the coordinate axes are rotated by a fixed angle about the origin
    translation
    (mathematics) a transformation in which the origin of the coordinate system is moved to another position but the direction of each axis remains the same
    affine transformation
    (mathematics) a transformation that is a combination of single transformations such as translation or rotation or reflection on an axis
    linear operator
    an operator that obeys the distributive law: A(f+g) = Af + Ag (where f and g are functions)
    identity, identity element, identity operator
    an operator that leaves unchanged the element on which it operates
    sin, sine
    ratio of the length of the side opposite the given angle to the length of the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle
    arc sine, arcsin, arcsine, inverse sine
    the inverse function of the sine; the angle that has a sine equal to a given number
    cos, cosine
    ratio of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle
    arc cosine, arccos, arccosine, inverse cosine
    the inverse function of the cosine; the angle that has a cosine equal to a given number
    tan, tangent
    ratio of the opposite to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle
    arc tangent, arctan, arctangent, inverse tangent
    the inverse function of the tangent; the angle that has a tangent equal to a given number
    cotan, cotangent
    ratio of the adjacent to the opposite side of a right-angled triangle
    arc cotangent, arccotangent, inverse cotangent
    the inverse function of the cotangent; the angle that has a cotangent equal to a given number
    sec, secant
    ratio of the hypotenuse to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle
    arc secant, arcsec, arcsecant, inverse secant
    the inverse function of the secant; the angle that has a secant equal to a given number
    cosec, cosecant
    ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite side of a right-angled triangle
    arc cosecant, arccosecant, inverse cosecant
    the angle that has a cosecant equal to a given number
    type of:
    mathematical relation
    a relation between mathematical expressions (such as equality or inequality)
  3. verb
    make a map of; show or establish the features of details of
    “map the surface of Venus”
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    types:
    chart
    make a chart of
    plat, plot
    make a plat of
    type of:
    interpret, represent
    create an image or likeness of
  4. verb
    depict as if on a map
    “sorrow was mapped on the mother's face”
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    type of:
    depict, picture, render, show
    show in, or as in, a picture
  5. verb
    explore or survey for the purpose of making a map
    “We haven't even begun to map the many galaxies that we know exist”
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    type of:
    explore
    travel to or penetrate into
  6. verb
    plan, delineate, or arrange in detail
    “map one's future”
    synonyms: map out
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    type of:
    contrive, design, plan, project
    make or work out a plan for; devise
  7. verb
    to establish a mapping (of mathematical elements or sets)
    synonyms: represent
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    commute, permute, transpose
    change the order or arrangement of
  8. verb
    locate within a specific region of a chromosome in relation to known DNA or gene sequences
    “map the genes”
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    type of:
    locate, situate
    determine or indicate the place, site, or limits of, as if by an instrument or by a survey
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