Bitmap

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɪtˌmæp/

Definitions

1. A digital visual structure that utilizes individual pixels arranged in a grid to convey color information and form comprehensive images
2. A graphical representation created by a matrix of colored points, permitting manipulation for display on electronic devices
3. A digital image format comprised of a grid of pixels that collectively represent visual information in a defined color scheme and resolution

Etymology: "Bitmap" is a plain compound: "bit," the smallest unit of digital information, joined to "map," a representation laid out across a surface. Put together, the term describes an image stored as a grid of individual elements, each assigned its own value, so that the picture is essentially a map of where each point of colour or brightness sits. The "bit" half comes from "binary digit," a contraction coined in the mid-twentieth century for the basic yes-or-no unit of information used in computing. The "map" half is much older, and the combination was made to describe a picture whose layout is recorded point by point, which is why the same word can refer both to the stored file and to the image it encodes.

Synonyms: raster graphics, pixel map, image file, digital image, picture format