Mercator

American  

[mer-kay-ter, mer-kah-tawr] / mərˈkeɪ tər, mɛrˈkɑ tɔr /

noun

1. Gerhardus Gerhard Kremer, 1512–94, Flemish cartographer and geographer.

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adjective

1. noting, pertaining to, or according to the principles of a Mercator projection.

   a Mercator chart.

Mercator British  

/ mɜːˈkeɪtə /

noun

1. Gerardus (dʒəˈrɑːdəs). Latinized name of Gerhard Kremer. 1512–94, Flemish cartographer and mathematician

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Mercator Scientific  

/ mər-kā′tər /

1. Flemish cartographer who in 1568 developed the Mercator projection. In 1585 he began work on a book of maps of Europe, a project that was later completed by his son and published in 1595. As a result of the drawing of the Greek titan Atlas carrying the globe on his shoulders on the book's cover, the term “atlas” was subsequently applied to any book of maps.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mercator

As you may remember from high school, most maps of the world use the Mercator projection, which features considerable distortions, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026

The Equal Earth map aims to address this problem with the Mercator projection.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

It urges member states to use the new map in place of the traditional Mercator projection, which was designed for maritime navigation by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

“If the issue is discussed at all, it would more likely happen behind closed doors,” said Eva Seiwert, a senior analyst with Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

I act affronted, but since I’m half eyeing the Mercator girl and half looking into the garden for Helene, Grandfather isn’t convinced.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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