Wikipedia
In modern mapping, a topographic map is a type of map characterized by large- scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features. A topographic map is typically published as a map series, made up of two or more map sheets that combine to form the whole map. A contour line is a line connecting places of equal elevation.
Natural Resources Canada provides this description of topographic maps: Other authors define topographic maps by contrasting them with another type of map; they are distinguished from smaller-scale " chorographic maps" that cover large regions, " planimetric maps" that do not show elevations, and " thematic maps" that focus on specific topics.
However, in the vernacular and day to day world, the representation of relief (contours) is popularly held to define the genre, such that even small-scale maps showing relief are commonly (and erroneously, in the technical sense) called "topographic".
The study or discipline of topography is a much broader field of study, which takes into account all natural and man-made features of terrain.
A topographic map is the ordered projection of a sensory surface, like the retina or the skin, or an effector system, like the musculature, to one or more structures of the central nervous system. Topographic maps can be found in all sensory systems and in many motor systems.