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Synonyms

cartographer

American  
[kahr-tog-ruh-fer] / kɑrˈtɒg rə fər /

noun

  1. a person engaged in cartography, or the production of maps.


Etymology

Origin of cartographer

First recorded in 1840–50; equivalent to cart(e) ( def. ) + -o- ( def. ) + -graph ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )

Explanation

Unless you’re the one guy in America who actually asks for directions, you’ve probably broken down and used a map at some point in your life. The cartographer is the person you should thank for getting you un-lost — the mapmaker. A cartographer is a person who creates maps, whether they’re of the world, the local bus routes, or buried pirate treasure. It comes to us from the Latin word charta-, which means “tablet or leaf of paper,” and the Greek word graphein, meaning to write or draw. These days, a cartographer doesn’t have to work on paper––it's all computers, making electronic maps as part of GPS software. Technically, a cartographer can make charts, too.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hunicke cites experimental games such as glitchy first-person explorer Memory of a Broken Dimension and sandbox world-builder Mu Cartographer as titles that explore similar territory.

From The Verge • Feb. 25, 2020

To Cartographer Robert M. Chapin Jr. fell the intricate assignment of showing precisely what happens to the baseball as Marichal pitches�fastball, screwball, slider and curve.

From Time Magazine Archive

Modest Cartographer Bumstead would never tell you this himself.

From Time Magazine Archive

These were air-expressed to New York and translated by Cartographer Vincent Puglisi onto a U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive

No one will be watching her more closely than the Cartographer in Chief.

From Time Magazine Archive