survey
- to take a general or comprehensive view of or appraise, as a situation, area of study, etc.
- to view in detail, especially to inspect, examine, or appraise formally or officially in order to ascertain condition, value, etc.
- to conduct a survey of or among: to survey TV viewers.
- to determine the exact form, boundaries, position, extent, etc., of (a tract of land, section of a country, etc.) by linear and angular measurements and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry.
- to survey land; practice surveying.
- an act or instance of surveying or of taking a comprehensive view of something: The course is a survey of Italian painting.
- a formal or official examination of the particulars of something, made in order to ascertain condition, character, etc.
- a statement or description embodying the result of this: They presented their survey to the board of directors.
- a sampling, or partial collection, of facts, figures, or opinions taken and used to approximate or indicate what a complete collection and analysis might reveal: The survey showed the percentage of the population that planned to vote.
- the act of determining the exact form, boundaries, position, etc., as of a tract of land or section of a country, by linear measurements, angular measurements, etc.
- the plan or description resulting from such an operation.
- an agency for making determinations: U.S. Geological Survey.
Origin of survey
survey.
Related Words for survey
audit, study, analysis, check, sample, inquiry, inspection, review, overlook, scan, oversee, evaluate, inspect, assess, examine, observe, supervise, canvass, estimate, compendiumExamples from the Web for survey
Contemporary Examples of survey
That statistic is based on a survey that includes attempted forced kissing as sexual assault.
The Medical University of South Carolina released a survey of 2,000 college women in 2007.
That creates an obvious statistical issue: The results of a survey of two campuses cannot be extrapolated for the entire country.
Down 29 percent since 2005, according to a Guardian survey of book authors.
Death of the Author by Viral Infection: In Defense of Taylor Swift, Digital DoomsayerArthur Chu
December 3, 2014
And survey after survey proves an embarrassingly high percentage of Americans are largely ignorant of how our government works.
Historical Examples of survey
In close connexion with the Survey and Lands Department is the topic of exploration.
Explorations in AustraliaJohn Forrest
Truth to tell, Burke was far from comfortable under that survey.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
After his survey he went behind the bar and got the revolver from under an overturned pail.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
“Nobody in this room could hope to escape,” was the verdict of that survey.
The Secret AgentJoseph Conrad
The survey is wonderfully complete, and was compiled in a very short time.
English VillagesP. H. Ditchfield
survey
- (tr) to view or consider in a comprehensive or general wayto survey the situation
- (tr) to examine carefully, as or as if to appraise valueto survey oneself in a mirror
- to plot a detailed map of (an area of land) by measuring or calculating distances and height
- British to inspect a building to determine its condition and value
- to examine a vessel thoroughly in order to determine its seaworthiness
- (tr) to run a statistical survey on (incomes, opinions, etc)
- a comprehensive or general viewa survey of English literature
- a critical, detailed, and formal inspectiona survey of the nation's hospitals
- British an inspection of a building to determine its condition and value
- a report incorporating the results of such an inspection
- a body of surveyors
- an area surveyed
- statistics a random sample
Word Origin for survey
Word Origin and History for survey
late 14c. "to consider, contemplate" (implied in surveyance), from Old French surveeir, from Medieval Latin supervidere "oversee" (see supervise). Meaning "examine the condition of" is from mid-15c. That of "to take linear measurements of a tract of ground" is recorded from 1540s. Related: Surveyed; surveying.
late 15c., survei, "oversight, supervision," from survey (v.). The meaning "act of viewing in detail" is from 1540s. Meaning "systematic collection of data on opinions, etc." is attested from 1927.