1. The act of surveying; a general view, as from above. Under his proud survey the city lies. Sir J. Denham.
2. A particular view; an examination, especially an official examination, of all the parts or particulars of a thing, with a design to ascertain the condition, quantity, or quality; as, a survey of the stores of a ship; a survey of roads and bridges; a survey of buildings.
3. The operation of finding the contour, dimensions, position, or other particulars of, as any part of the earth's surface, whether land or water; also, a measured plan and description of any portion of country, or of a road or line through it. Survey of dogs. See Court of regard, under Regard. — Trigonometrical survey, a survey of a portion of country by measuring a single base, and connecting it with various points in the tract surveyed by a series of triangles, the angles of which are carefully measured, the relative positions and distances of all parts being computed from these data.
Syn.
— Review; retrospect; examination; prospect.
SURVEYAL
Sur*vey"al, n.
Defn: Survey. [R.] Barrow.
SURVEYANCE
Sur*vey"ance, n.
Defn: Survey; inspection. [R.]
SURVEYING
Sur*vey"ing, n.
Defn: 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, 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, a. — 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.