- 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.
In recent months, Chinese research ships have been particularly active to the east of Taiwan, surveying waters that the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Observations collected by OSIRIS-REx while surveying Bennu offered an early clue.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
“We lost our beaches and our trails within two weeks,” resident Rebecca Schwarz lamented as she stood with her partner, Todd, and their border collie, Bodie, surveying the Norte fire’s damage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
The funny thing is, though, that nowadays, surveying 10 people about those questions could easily return 10 different answers, or responses rife with caveats and asterisks.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Nat was still working on surveying when he got his first glimpse at an algebra book.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
