Tissot's indicatrix

noun

A mathematical contrivance used to characterize local distortions due to map projection. It is the geometry that results from projecting a circle of infinitesimal radius from a curved geometric model, such as a globe, onto a map.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounTissot's indicatrix (plural Tissot's indicatrices)

plural Tissot's indicatrices

  1. cartographyA mathematical contrivance used to characterize local distortions due to map projection. It is the geometry that results from projecting a circle of infinitesimal radius from a curved geometric model, such as a globe, onto a map.

Origin

Developed by French mathematician Nicolas Auguste Tissot in the 19th century.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Tissot's indicatrix. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tissot's%20indicatrix

MLA

“Tissot's indicatrix.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tissot's%20indicatrix. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Tissot's indicatrix,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tissot's%20indicatrix.

Source: Tissot's indicatrix on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.