From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Survey \Sur*vey"\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Surveyed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Surveying}.] [OF. surveoir, surveer; sur, sor, over, E. sur + veoir, veeir, to see, F. voir, L. videre. See {Sur-}, and {Vision}, and cf. {Supervise}.]
1. To inspect, or take a view of; to view with attention, as from a high place; to overlook; as, to stand on a hill, and survey the surrounding country.
Round he surveys and well might, where he stood, So high above. --Milton.
2. To view with a scrutinizing eye; to examine.
With such altered looks, . . . All pale and speechless, he surveyed me round. --Dryden.
3. To examine with reference to condition, situation, value, etc.; to examine and ascertain the state of; as, to survey a building in order to determine its value and exposure to loss by fire.
4. To determine the form, extent, position, etc., of, as a tract of land, a coast, harbor, or the like, by means of linear and angular measurments, and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry; as, to survey land or a coast.
5. To examine and ascertain, as the boundaries and royalties of a manor, the tenure of the tenants, and the rent and value of the same. [Eng.] --Jacob (Law Dict.).
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Surveying \Sur*vey"ing\, noun That branch of applied mathematics which teaches the art of determining the area of any portion of the earth's surface, the length and directions of the bounding lines, the contour of the surface, etc., with an accurate delineation of the whole on paper; the act or occupation of making surveys.
{Geodetic surveying}, geodesy.
{Maritime surveying}, or {Nautical surveying}, that branch of surveying which determines the forms of coasts and harbors, the entrances of rivers, with the position of islands, rocks, and shoals, the depth of water, etc.
{Plane surveying}. See under {Plane}, adjective
{Topographical surveying}, that branch of surveying which involves the process of ascertaining and representing upon a plane surface the contour, physical features, etc., of any portion of the surface of the earth.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: the practice of measuring angles and distances on the ground so that they can be accurately plotted on a map; "he studied surveying at college"
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
52 Moby Thesaurus words for "surveying": altimetry, appraisal, appraisement, approximation, assessment, assize, assizement, bathymetry, biometrics, biometry, cadastration, calculation, cartography, chorography, computation, correction, craniometry, determination, estimate, estimation, evaluation, gauging, geodesy, geodetic satellite, geodetics, geography, goniometry, hypsography, hypsometry, instrumentation, measure, measurement, measuring, mensuration, metric system, metrology, navigation, oceanography, orbiting geophysical observatory, planimetry, psychometrics, psychometry, quantification, quantization, rating, stereometry, survey, telemetering, telemetry, topography, triangulation, valuation
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