From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmapmap1 /mæp/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 1 TCa drawing of a particular area, for example a city or country, which shows its main features, such as its roads, rivers, mountains etcmap of a map of Mexico City According to the map we should turn left.on a map I’m just trying to find Vancouver on the map.2 a drawing of an area showing some kind of special feature, for example the type of rocks, weather, population etc SYN chart an archaeological map of the area the colour weather map in the newspaperpolitical map (=one showing where political parties have power, or where countries are)3 → put something on the map4 → off the map → wipe something off the map at wipe1(8)COLLOCATIONSverbslook at a mapShe stopped the car to look at the map.read a map (=look at and understand the information on a map)He drove while I read the map.study a map (=look carefully at a map)They studied the map before setting out.draw a mapHe drew me a map of the route.check a map (also consult a map formal) (=look at a map to get information)I don't know how to get to Berlin without consulting a map.be marked on a map (=put a mark or symbol on a map to show where something is)The path is clearly marked on the map.find something on a mapI managed to find the village on the map.spread out/unfold a mapWe spread out our maps on the floor.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + mapdetaileda detailed map of the cityaccuratea modern, accurate map of the districtlarge-scale (=showing a small area in a lot of detail)a large-scale map of Parisa road mapa road map of Texasa street mapThere's a street map outside the town hall.a tourist mapThe museum is marked on most tourist maps.an Ordnance Survey map British English (=a map showing the roads, paths, hills etc of an area in detail)phrasesthe contours on a map (=the lines on a map showing the height of mountains and valleys)Contours on the map are given in feet.
Examples from the Corpus
map• I am never far from a map of the seafloor.• When William Senior drew his map of c.1635 Chesterfield had still not expanded beyond its medieval limits.• With their handwritten text, intricate maps and exquisite drawings, they were hailed as a work of art.• Significant developments in the use of maps in the coming decades can be predicted with confidence.• Ted said one day, poring over maps and guidebooks.• On the back wall of the produce shed hangs a schoolroom map of the continental United States.• a street map• This might well be the word processor that puts WordStar right back on the map in the word processor stakes.• Let me show you how to get there on the map.• The map tore, and tore again, as he tossed around in the backseat.map of• a map of Texaspolitical map• Clearly, devising a political map of Minoan Crete is fraught with problems.• California's political map is a chaotic mess of overlapping cities, counties and school districts.• The commission's recommendations could profoundly affect the political map of the area.• The entire economy of the Earth, the political map, the military map.• Still, at least the interlocking issues of taxation, welfare and the family are now on the political map.mapmap2 ●○○ verb (mapped, mapping) [transitive] 1 TCto make a map of a particular area He spent the next fifteen years mapping the Isle of Anglesey.2 TMto discover or show information about something, especially about its shape or arrangement, or how it moves or works The points at which stress and anxiety emerge can be mapped. → map onto something → map something ↔ out→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
map• A conventional lens maps each light ray to a particular point on an image plane.• He reckoned in a destiny that was mapped for his career.• High altitude radar mapping has also helped reveal a hitherto undocumented people in Costa Rica.• Polson has already mapped out a 20-week book promotion tour.• Road atlas programs will map out your route between two cities or set up a whole itinerary of stops.• The path to glory was mapped out.• It is known to map real metrics to real metrics only for space-times with two space-like Killing vectors.• Ranger Dave Hutson likes to remind visitors how lucky they are compared to James White, who first mapped the cave.• The Magellan spacecraft has mapped the surface of Venus.• A number of senators are already mapping their campaigns for the presidency.Origin map1 (1500-1600) Medieval Latin mappa, from Latin, “cloth, towel” 