- present participle of survey.
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.
By surveying huge areas of the sky and tracking how matter and galaxies are distributed across the cosmos, Roman could give researchers new clues about both phenomena.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
For an upcoming project, I’m surveying Gen Z–ers to better understand their investing behaviors.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Investing in heat-countering measures has become essential to maintain the existing workforce and attract new recruits, said Yutaka Kono from Konoe, the specialist wholesaler of screws and surveying equipment where Tabuchi works.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Yet he produces a fresh Arendt: less a lone intelligence surveying the 20th century’s catastrophes from above than a participant in its battered institutions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
One night, surveying the bearded, shaggy castaways around him, Shackleton ordered haircuts for all.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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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.