a. [ad. mod.L. stereographicus, f. Gr. στερεό-ς solid + -γραφικός: see -GRAPHIC. Cf. F. stéréographique, It. stereografico.]
1. Delineating or representing a solid body on a plane; applied spec. to a kind of projection used in maps, etc., in which the center of projection is a point on the surface of the sphere, and the whole sphere is represented once on an infinite plane, circles being represented as circles, and the angles being retained.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Stereographick Projection.
1706. W. Jones, Palm. Math., A 4 b. The Laws of the … Stereographic … Projection of the Sphere.
1730. Greenwood, in Phil. Trans., XXXVII. 68. In the Figures I have attempted the Stereographic Projection of the most considerable Scenes.
1737. Gentl. Mag., VII. 611. In those Stereographic Maps, where a … Hemisphere is projected upon a Plan parallel to a Meridian.
1863. Harbord, Gloss. Navig., s.v., The stereographic projection of the sphere is a natural projection of the concavity of the sphere, on a diametral plane as primitive, the eye being placed on the surface at the opposite extremity of the diameter perpendicular to the primitive.
1872. Proctor, Ess. Astron., iv. 62. A … chart of Mars on the stereographic projection.
1879. Sir A. R. Clarke, in Encycl. Brit., X. 203. Notwithstanding the facility of construction, the stereographic projection is not much used in map-making.
† 2. Used to designate the ‘stereotype steel plates’ used for reproducing copper-plate engravings. Obs.
1810. in Abridgm. Specif. Patents, Printing (1859), 122. Plates thus constructed are what I call Perkins’ ‘steriographic [sic] steel plates,’ one of which will serve to give as many impressions as would wear out a great number of copper-plates.
3. Pertaining to stereoscopic photography.
1859. O. W. Holmes, in Atlantic Monthly, June, 748/1. To render comparison of similar objects, or of any that we may wish to see side by side, easy, there should be a stereographic metre or fixed standard of focal length for the camera lens. Ibid. Already a workman has been travelling about the country with stereographic views of furniture.
4. Pertaining to the use of the stereograph in craniometry. (See STEREOGRAPH 2.)
1886. Buck’s Handbk. Med. Sci., II. 26/1. Particular methods of craniometric projections, diverse stereographic proceedings [etc.] … cannot here be mentioned in detail.
