noun
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the study or practice of measuring altitudes, angles, and distances on the land surface so that they can be accurately plotted on a map
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the setting out on the ground of the positions of proposed construction or engineering works
Etymology
Origin of surveying
1425–75; late Middle English: act of examining closely; see survey, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She then spent an additional $60,000 on surveying, engineering and adding dirt to protect against flooding.
From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026
"To understand when and why harmful microbial glycogen is produced, the team will next conduct larger studies surveying gut microbiome communities in ALS/FTD patients before and after disease onset," Burberry said.
From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026
After surveying more than 200 authors, publishers, journalists and book club enthusiasts, we named the 101 best book club picks.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
As we talk, on occasion the screeching call of a toucan pierces the quiet, and miles above, the same giant black birds hover menacingly in groups, surveying everything below.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
The rules of mathematics were built around counting sheep and surveying property, yet these very rules govern the way the universe works.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
