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.
What Steve achieved was fantastic because he put Scotland back on the map.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
I have scattergrams — charts showing no reliable pattern — of every major valuation metric against one-year forward returns, and the dots are all over the map.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger drove a Hummer powered by hydrogen, putting the fuel on the state’s map in 2004 with his vision of a 200-station “hydrogen highway.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
To investigate the effect, the team used specialized microscope probes to map the shape of the wrinkles and measure local electrical energy and current.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
They clustered around as Rowan unrolled the map.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
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
To help visualize the results, the researchers collaborated with award-winning data visualization designer Moritz Stefaner to create the Mycorrhizal Infrastructure Map.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 15, 2026
The US is using Sky Map to protects one of its bases in the Middle East.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Two private hot spots, Berckmans Place and Map & Flag, have dining, entertainment and shopping accessible only to invited guests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026
A half hour later, fed and packed, they stood in front of the riveted metal door of the Map Room.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
Their next goal is to develop ways to selectively target the interaction between p38 MAP kinase and LaminB1 in humans.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
“As is the case with any large, strategic document, submitting the MAP is one thing, but publishing it is another thing entirely,” the official said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 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
“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
Activists have been building maps alerting people where the cameras are.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Once used to defend Britain's shores against Napoleonic France, the Ordnance Survey's detailed maps are now essential for tracking and adapting to climate change.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
"Under stress, the brain loses the ability to effectively utilize its internal navigation maps," explains Akan.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
Lenders and insurers will pore over the new maps; homeowners should study them too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
She'd spent so many hours drawing maps based on her research—winding high streets full of eccentric shops, shady low streets full of illegal goods, and the networks of cable wires pulling air-trolleys overhead.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
The tool deployed up to eight autonomous agents that mapped 21 government systems, explored vulnerabilities and changed tactics when blocked, the FT said, describing the attack as a first of its kind.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
It’s also developing a due-diligence framework to assess whether private ratings are mapped appropriately to regulatory risk categories.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
This newly mapped pathway is separate from the appetite-control systems previously linked to drugs such as semaglutide.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
She didn’t invent the idea of catchy songs about infatuations and breakups where the protagonist’s experience can be mapped to a singer’s life, but she perfected it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
I pictured my cold cavernous house, my friendless town full of bad memories, the utterly unremarkable life that had been mapped out for me.
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
The OS first started mapping Britain 230 years ago and has since documented the changes in the country's topography.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
That uncertainty deserves careful consideration before you start mapping out your real-estate plans.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
The advance could support the development of more capable lidar sensors for challenging uses, including autonomous vehicle navigation, aerial mapping, and the monitoring of construction sites.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
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
To speed things up even more, Rondon was using a different mapping method called the “moveable sighting” process.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
