A rhumb line crosses every meridian at the same angle.

A **rhumb line**, also called a loxodrome, maintains a constant bearing and therefore crosses each meridian at the same angle. It is not generally the shortest route; that role belongs to a great-circle arc. On a Mercator chart, a rhumb line appears as a straight line.\n\n**Key takeaway:** Constant bearing defines a rhumb line.\n\n**Glossary:** **Great circle**: the shortest surface path between two points on a spherical Earth model.