Portolan
//ˈpɔːtələn// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A chart of European navigable waters based on descriptions of coasts. historical
"Portolans are as old as the European mariner's magnetic compass, and for about two centuries the two depended on each other for the growth and safe passage of Mediterranean trade."
Example
More examples"Portolans are as old as the European mariner's magnetic compass, and for about two centuries the two depended on each other for the growth and safe passage of Mediterranean trade."
Etymology
From French portulan, from Italian portolano.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.