noun
map
map
noun
1
A drawing or diagram showing the layout of an area, such as roads, borders, or landmarks.
"She unfolded a map to find the quickest route to the coast."
"The old map showed a village that no longer exists."
2
A diagram representing how the parts of a system or structure relate to each other.
"The company published a map of its organizational structure."
3
(mathematics/computing) A function or rule that pairs each item in one set with an item in another.
"The programmer wrote a map that converts each username into a numeric ID."
verb
1
To make a map of an area, or to represent something as a map.
"Explorers spent years mapping the coastline."
"Scientists have mapped the entire human genome."
2
(computing) To assign or link one set of values to another.
"The software maps each keyboard shortcut to a specific command."
How to Use Map
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA representation of an area or system — or, as a verb, the act of creating or linking such a representation.
Common pairings
map out a route
map a genome
mind map
map data to a field
Word Forms
mapped past tense, maps plural, maps singular
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Etymology
Shortened from Middle English mappemounde, "map of the world," ultimately from Latin mappa mundi — mappa meaning "cloth" (a map was once drawn on cloth) and mundi meaning "of the world."