Mercator projection
or Mercator's projection
noun Cartography.
a conformal projection on which any rhumb line is represented as a straight line, used chiefly in navigation, though the scale varies with latitude and areal size and the shapes of large areas are greatly distorted.
Origin of Mercator projection
First recorded in 1660–70
British Dictionary definitions for mercator projection
Mercator projection
/ (mɜːˈkeɪtə) /
noun
an orthomorphic map projection on which parallels and meridians form a rectangular grid, scale being exaggerated with increasing distance from the equator
Also called: Mercator's projection
Word Origin for Mercator projection
C17: named after G.
Mercator
Scientific definitions for mercator projection
Mercator projection
A cylindrical projection of the Earth's surface developed by Gerhardus Mercator. As in other such projections, the areas farther from the equator appear larger, making the polar regions greatly distorted. However, the faithful representation of direction in a Mercator projection makes it ideal for navigation. See more at cylindrical projection.
Cultural definitions for mercator projection
Mercator projection
[ (muhr-kay-tuhr) ]
A way of showing the sphere of the Earth on the flat surface of a map. Because this projection is centered on the equator, in order to maintain the correct shape of the features shown, the spacing between the parallels of latitude increases with the increasing distance from the equator. This tends to enlarge the size of those features located nearer the poles, such as Greenland or New Zealand, giving a false picture of their relative size.