Mercator

See also: mercator

English

Etymology

From Gerardus Mercator, Latinized name of Gerard de Cremer (1512–1594), Flemish cartographer and mathematician, from Latin mercātor (“merchant”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /məˈkeɪ.tə/, /mɜːˈkeɪ.tə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /mɜɹˈkeɪ.tɜɹ/

Noun

Mercator (plural Mercators)

1. (chiefly attributive) An orthomorphic map projection, in which meridians appear at right-angles to the equator, and lines of latitude are horizontal lines whose distance from each other increases with distance from the equator.
   • 2018, Julio Sanchez, Maria P. Canton, Space Image Processing, Routledge, →ISBN, page 191:

     In the Mercator projection, the line of intersection between the cylinder and the sphere is the equator, while in the Traverse Mercator this line is a meridian.

   • 2020, Gretchen N. Peterson, GIS Cartography […] , 3rd edition, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 144:

     Most digital maps are displayed in the Web Mercator projection but this is slowly changing. Web Mercator became the default standard for web mapping when the major online map services adopted it, like Google and OpenStreetMap.

   • 1809, Lord Byron, letter (to Henry Drury), 25 Jun 1809:

     we have determined to go by way of Lisbon […] , if so be that Capt. Kidd our gallant or rather gallows commander understands plain sailing and Mercator, and takes us on our voyage all according to the Chart.

   • 1964, David Greenhood, Mapping, University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 128:

     The Mercator has been a favorite schoolroom map because it shows almost the whole world simply—in a single continuous panel. It does not seem to distort shapes.

Further reading

• Mercator projection on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Web Mercator projection on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• cremator