vector graphics

noun
1.
a method of electronically coding graphic images so that they are represented in lines rather than fixed bitmaps, allowing an image, as on a computer display screen, to be rotated or proportionally scaled.

vector graphic

noun
1.
a computer image that is stored in memory as lines rather than a series of dots, allowing it to be rotated or proportionally scaled.
Compare bit-mapped image
Examples from the web for vector graphics
  • Geographic data can be stored in a vector graphics or a raster graphics format.
  • The vector graphics for this map do not lend themselves to accessibility by sight-impaired people.
vector graphics in Technology

graphics
(Sometimes called "object-oriented" graphics, though it's nothing to do with object-oriented programming). The representation of separate shapes such as lines, polygons and text, and groups of such objects, as opposed to bitmaps. The advantage of vector graphics ("drawing") programs over bitmap ("paint") editors is that multiple overlapping elements can be manipulated independently without using differenet layers for each one. It is also easier to render an object at different sizes and to transform it in other ways without worrying about image resolution and pixels.
(2001-02-06)