a representation, usually on a flat surface, as of the features of an area of the earth or a portion of the heavens, showing them in their respective forms, sizes, and relationships according to some convention of representation.
a map of Canada.
a maplike delineation, representation, or reflection of anything.
The old man's face is a map of time.
Mathematics. function.
Slang. the face.
Wipe that smile off that ugly map of yours.
Genetics. genetic map.
to represent or delineate on or as if on a map.
to sketch or plan (often followed byout ).
to map out a new career.
off the map, out of existence; into oblivion.
Whole cities were wiped off the map.
put on the map, to bring into the public eye; make known, famous, or prominent.
The discovery of gold put our town on the map.
a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface or part of it, showing the geographical distributions, positions, etc, of natural or artificial features such as roads, towns, relief, rainfall, etc
a diagrammatic representation of the distribution of stars or of the surface of a celestial body
a lunar map
a maplike drawing of anything
maths another name for function
a slang word for face
no longer important or in existence (esp in the phrase wipe off the map )
to make (a town, company, etc) well-known
to make a map of
maths to represent or transform (a function, figure, set, etc) See also map out
the results were mapped onto a graph
(intr) to fit in with or correspond to
A representation of a region of three-dimensional space, such as of the Earth or a part of the universe, usually on a two-dimensional plane surface.
See also projection
See genetic map
Map, chart, graph refer to representations of surfaces, areas, or facts. Map most commonly refers to a representation of the surface of the earth or a section of it, or an area of the sky: a map of England. A chart may be an outline map with symbols conveying information superimposed on it, a map designed especially for navigators on water or in the air, a diagram, or a table giving information in an orderly form: a chart of the shoals off a coast. A graph may be a diagram representing a set of interrelated facts by means of dots or lines on a coordinate background; or it may use small figures (people, animals, machines, etc.) appropriate to the facts being represented, each figure standing for a specific number in statistics being given: a graph of the rise in population from 1900 to 1980.
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mappe-(mounde), from Medieval Latin mappa mundī “map of the world,” special use of Latin mappa “napkin,” said to be from Punic; perhaps compare Mishnaic Hebrew mapāh “tablecloth”
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As of Monday, the map says there are more than a dozen fires burning across the country, including on Corsica.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
They popped up a swarm of short-lift attackers to map out Hugging Face’s network and took an astounding 17,000 actions during the hack, far more than a human would.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The team tracks homeless encampments on a map and makes sure that empty shelter beds are filled, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The team also wants to map the full sequence of events that occurs after BRP binds to its target.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
I held the map up to the light and finished the job I’d started in the office before we’d been interrupted by Commander Fitz.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
His curiosity eventually led him to establish the interactive The World Hum Map and Database Project in 2012.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
Of the 224 throughout the state, 140 populate central Ohio, dotting the city center through to the edges of suburban cities like New Albany and Dublin, according to Data Center Map.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Sky Map uses radars, thousands of sensors and video feeds and artificial intelligence to detect threats and guide its air defences.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Virginia and Texas lead the country in data-center construction, with 579 and 411 server farms, respectively, according to the industry website Data Center Map.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
Harry hastily stuffed the Marauder’s Map and the Invisibility Cloak into his pocket.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
This year occupancy continued to rebound, climbing to 89.9% in the first quarter, according to NIC MAP, an industry data source.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
He obtained 84 votes compared to the runner up, Turkish Mustafa Serkan Sabanca, who got 60 votes, Moroccan state news agency MAP said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
Another doctor placed at al-Aqsa with MAP, James Smith, told the BBC that he had heard gunfire on several days.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2024
Applying MAP or DAP in the fall as a source of phosphorus for crops is common practice for corn and soybean production in much of the Midwest.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2023
“Yes, the MAP IN CHARLESTON,” Frank said loudly, giving Percy a wide-eyed look to make sure he hadn’t missed the information.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Investors continue to place a premium on Musk’s leadership of the companies and his ambitious product road maps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
US military maps also confirm American operations in southern Iran – including the Minab area - at the time.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The resulting maps traced gas motion deep within the black hole's sphere of influence.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
It maps on pretty cleanly because a lot of the cases that people really like involve the court enforcing federal legislation.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
He is also drawing maps of the rivers and land he has found on his exploration trips.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
This newly mapped pathway is separate from the appetite-control systems previously linked to drugs such as semaglutide.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
I downloaded an app that mapped out my route and where I should charge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The BBC also mapped the scale of the network of detention centres, cross-matching reports from media sources, investigators and human rights groups.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
But revisiting the lyrics of “Just a Girl,” she realized it mapped neatly onto Elle’s arc.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
A second shock came several months later, when DNA extracted from the fossilised finger from Denisova was mapped.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Plus, the future of watching sports, how AI might actually help solve the next labor crisis and the woman mapping her biological data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
But we sit around and talk and make notes, and Jamie goes off and does the nitty gritty of mapping it out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Built from high-resolution images of thin slices of post-mortem brain tissue, the approach makes detailed, cell-level mapping affordable.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Some consultants bill themselves as senior downsizing experts and can provide guidance in mapping out a move.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
The mapping of the moon, beginning with van Langren in 1645, provided a crucial precedent for eponymic naming, helping to transfer it from geography to astronomy.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
