map

The word “map” means a drawing or diagram showing the layout of an area, such as roads, borders, or landmarks. In plain terms, a representation of an area or system — or, as a verb, the act of creating or linking such a representation.

“Map” is pronounced map (/mæp/ in IPA).

Here is “map” used in a sentence: “She unfolded a map to find the quickest route to the coast.”

Depending on how it is used, “map” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “map” comes from Latin. 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.".

“Map” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Map” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a drawing or diagram showing the layout of an area, such as roads, borders, or landmarks.

A map is a flat drawing of an area, from a single street to the whole world, easy to fold, carry, and mark up. A globe is a three-dimensional model of the Earth on a sphere. Because a globe keeps the planet's true round shape, it shows sizes and distances more accurately than a flat map.

Maps come in many kinds. Political maps show countries, borders, and cities; physical maps show natural features like mountains and rivers; topographic maps show elevation with contour lines. Road maps aid driving, while climate, population, and other thematic maps display specific data. Today many maps are digital and interactive.

A map is a single drawing of one area. An atlas is a bound collection of many maps gathered in one volume, often covering a whole country or the world, with an index to find places. Put simply, an atlas is a book made up of many individual maps.

A map key, also called a legend, is the small box that explains what the map's symbols, colours, and lines mean. It might show that a blue line is a river, a red line a main road, or a green patch a park. The key lets you read the map correctly.