What does hachure mean?
Hachure is a specialized cartographic and drafting technique in which shading is created with short, usually parallel lines. In maps of mountainous or uneven terrain, these strokes generally run down the slope, so their direction, length, and density help communicate relief and steepness even without numerical elevation labels. The same term can refer more generally to line shading in technical drawing. Hachure is not synonymous with every kind of hatching: hachures are arranged to represent terrain, while hatching may indicate tone, texture, shadow, or another graphic effect. The word is specialized and usually appears in cartography, geography, art, or surveying contexts rather than everyday speech. Its value lies in showing how a practical visual convention became part of the history of mapping. Long before contour lines became standard, hachures gave mapmakers a way to make relief visible, if imperfectly, through directional marks on the page.
nounA technique of shading or a set of short parallel lines used to represent slopes, relief, or tonal variation in a map or drawing. In cartography, hachures are commonly drawn down a slope to indicate its direction and steepness.
- A cartographic technique or its resulting lines, using short strokes that generally follow slopes to depict relief.
- A more general technique of shading in technical drawing through closely spaced parallel lines.
"The cartographer used fine hachures to make the valley's slopes stand out."
"Fine hachures give the cliff face a steep, sharply defined appearance."
"The designer combined cross-hatching with a few bold hachures to suggest texture."
The plural is used when referring to individual lines or groups of hachures, especially on a map.
"The hachures become denser as the slope rises."
Long before contour lines became standard, hachures helped mapmakers make mountains and valleys visible through the strategic placement of lines.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hachure come from?
The word entered English from French hachure, a term for shading made with short strokes and derived from the French verb hacher, meaning "to hack" or "to cut." The French verb in turn comes from hache, meaning "axe." English later borrowed related French culinary terms such as hachis, hachoir, and hachée from the same verbal root.
Related word forms
How hachure is actually used
This is primarily a technical term used in cartography, surveying, geography, and drafting. It is uncommon in everyday English and is more specific than the general term "hatching."
Easily confused with hachure
Hachures are short lines arranged to depict the direction and steepness of terrain, whereas hatching is a broader term for shading with parallel or crossed lines.