topography

American  

[tuh-pog-ruh-fee] / təˈpɒg rə fi /

noun

plural

topographies

1. the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area, district, or locality.

2. the detailed description, especially by means of surveying, of particular localities, as cities, towns, or estates.

3. the relief features or surface configuration of an area.

4. the features, relations, or configuration of a structural entity.

5. a schema of a structural entity, as of the mind, a field of study, or society, reflecting a division into distinct areas having a specific relation or a specific position relative to one another.

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topography British  

/ ˌtɒpəˈɡræfɪk, təˈpɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. the study or detailed description of the surface features of a region

2. the detailed mapping of the configuration of a region

3. the land forms or surface configuration of a region

4. the surveying of a region's surface features

5. the study or description of the configuration of any object

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topography Scientific  

/ tə-pŏg′rə-fē /

1. The three-dimensional arrangement of physical attributes (such as shape, height, and depth) of a land surface in a place or region. Physical features that make up the topography of an area include mountains, valleys, plains, and bodies of water. Human-made features such as roads, railroads, and landfills are also often considered part of a region's topography.

2. The detailed description or drawing of the physical features of a place or region, especially in the form of contour maps.

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Other Word Forms

• topographer noun
• topographic adjective
• topographical adjective
• topographically adverb

Etymology

Origin of topography

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English topographye, from Late Latin topographia, from Greek topographía; topo-, -graphy

Example Sentences

Submarine navigation relies on detailed knowledge of ocean-floor topography and undersea conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Unlike the trails categorized above as “easy” or “moderate,” the trails here require you to plan ahead, bringing plenty of water and other supplies, looking over topography maps and reading trail reports.

From Los Angeles Times

The topography also complicates a key decision for China: where to land.

From The Wall Street Journal

I feel about Scotland the way many Europeans feel about America: I love its people, revere its history, relish its architecture and topography and regard its present-day politics with sadness.

From The Wall Street Journal

The country's mountainous topography can also make driving conditions perilous.

From Barron's

Related Words

• contour