[a. F. chorographie, or ad. L. chōrographia, a. Gr. χωρογραφία, f. χώρα or χώρος + -γραφια writing. A term, with its family of words, greatly in vogue in 17th c., but now little used, its ancient sphere being covered by geography and topography jointly.]
1. The art or practice of describing, or of delineating on a map or chart, particular regions, or districts; as distinguished from geography, taken as dealing with the earth in general, and (less distinctly) from topography, which deals with particular places, as towns, etc.
1559. W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 7. Chorographie shewith the partes of th’ earth diuided in themselues.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., 17. Chorographie seemeth to be an underling, and a twig, of Geographie.
1677. Plot, Oxfordsh., 299. Except there be any thing of Chorography in the Map of Oxfordshire prefixt to this Essay.
1862. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), IV. xxxix. 402. The curious specimen of ancient chorography called the Peutinger Table.
2. concr. A description or delineation of a particular region or district.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 156–7. I … having undertaken the Chorography of this shyre.
1683. Cave, Ecclesiastici, Eusebius, 19. The first [Book] containing a Chorography of Judæa.
1850. Leitch, Müller’s Anc. Art, 626. A pictorial chorography and ethnography.
3. transf. The natural configuration and features of a region (which form the subject matter of its chorography in sense 2). (Cf. geography.)
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. I. i. 10. Let a Traueller obserue … the fruitfulnes of each Countrey … the healthfulnes of the Aire, the Chorography, [etc.].
1642. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., II. § 8. 137. I have … seene severall Countries, beheld the nature of their climes, the Chorography of their Provinces, [etc.].
1851. Sir F. Palgrave, Norm. & Eng., I. 343. Renders its chorography singularly conspicuous on the historical map.
