survey

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• intransitive verb To look over the parts, features, or contents of; view broadly.
• intransitive verb To look at or examine carefully and appraise: synonym: see.
• intransitive verb To determine the boundaries, area, or elevations of (land or structures on the earth's surface) by means of measuring angles and distances, using the techniques of geometry and trigonometry.
• intransitive verb Chiefly British To inspect and determine the structural condition of (a building).
• intransitive verb To conduct a statistical survey on.
• intransitive verb To make a survey.
• noun A general or comprehensive view.
• noun A careful inspection or appraisal.
• noun A gathering of a sample of data or opinions considered to be representative of a whole.
• noun The act or process of surveying a part of the earth's surface.
• noun A map of what has been surveyed.
• noun An administrative agency charged with the responsibility of surveying.
• noun A document reporting the results of a survey.

from The Century Dictionary.

• To overlook; view at large, as from a commanding position; take a comprehensive view of.
• To oversee; view with a scrutinizing eye; examine; scrutinize.
• To inspect or examine with reference to situation, condition, and value; inspect carefully: as, to survey a building to determine its value, etc.
• To determine the boundaries, extent, position, etc., of, as of any part of the earth's surface by means of linear and angular measurements, and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry; determine the form and dimensions of, as of tracts of ground, coasts, harbors, etc., so as to be able to delineate their several shapes and positions on paper. See surveying.
• To examine and ascertain, as the boundaries and royalties of a manor, the tenure of the tenants, and the rent and value of the same.
• To see; perceive; observe.
• noun [caps.] The former name of the United States governmental bureau having charge of the national hydrographic and geodetic work. Now officially called the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey.
• noun A general view; a comprehensive prospect.
• noun A particular view; an examination or inspection of all the parts or particulars of a thing, with a design to ascertain the condition, quantity, or quality: as, a survey of the stores, provisions, or munitions of a ship; a survey of roads and bridges; a survey of buildings intended to ascertain their condition, value, and exposure to fire.
• noun In insurance, a plan or description, or both, of the present existing state or condition of the thing insured, including commonly in applications for fire-insurance the present mode of use so far as material to the risk; more loosely, the description or representations, including interrogatories and answers, constituting the application drawn up or adopted by the agent of the insurer.
• noun The operation of finding the contour, dimensions, position, or other particulars of any part of the earth's surface, coast, harbor, tract of land, etc., and representing the same on paper; also, the measured plan, account, or exposition of such an operation. See surveying, and ordnance survey (under ordnance).
• noun A species of auction, in which farms are disposed of for a period covering three lives.
• noun A district for the collection of the customs, under the inspection and authority of a particular officer.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• transitive verb To inspect, or take a view of; to view with attention, as from a high place; to overlook.
• transitive verb To view with a scrutinizing eye; to examine.
• transitive verb To examine with reference to condition, situation, value, etc.; to examine and ascertain the state of.
• transitive verb To determine the form, extent, position, etc., of, as a tract of land, a coast, harbor, or the like, by means of linear and angular measurments, and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry.
• transitive verb engraving To examine and ascertain, as the boundaries and royalties of a manor, the tenure of the tenants, and the rent and value of the same.
• noun The act of surveying; a general view, as from above.
• noun A particular view; an examination, especially an official examination, of all the parts or particulars of a thing, with a design to ascertain the condition, quantity, or quality.
• noun The operation of finding the contour, dimensions, position, or other particulars of, as any part of the earth's surface, whether land or water; also, a measured plan and description of any portion of country, or of a road or line through it.
• noun See Court of regard, under Regard.
• noun a survey of a portion of country by measuring a single base, and connecting it with various points in the tract surveyed by a series of triangles, the angles of which are carefully measured, the relative positions and distances of all parts being computed from these data.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun The act of surveying; a general view, as from above.
• noun A particular view; an examination, especially an official examination, of all the parts or particulars of a thing, with a design to ascertain the condition, quantity, or quality; as, a survey of the stores of a ship; a survey of roads and bridges; a survey of buildings.
• noun The operation of finding the contour, dimensions, position, or other particulars of, as any part of the earth's surface, whether land or water; also, a measured plan and description of any portion of country, or of a road or line through it.
• verb To inspect, or take a view of; to view with attention, as from a high place; to overlook; as, to stand on a hill, and survey the surrounding country.
• verb To view with a scrutinizing eye; to examine.
• verb To examine with reference to condition, situation, value, etc.; to examine and ascertain the state of; as, to survey a building in order to determine its value and exposure to loss by fire.
• verb To determine the form, extent, position, etc., of, as a tract of land, a coast, harbor, or the like, by means of linear and angular measurements, and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry; as, to survey land or a coast.
• verb To examine and ascertain, as the boundaries and royalties of a manor, the tenure of the tenants, and the rent and value of the same.
• verb To dispose of after determining that something is no longer useful for its intended purpose (military) "Surveyed Old Rope." -William Bligh.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun the act of looking or seeing or observing
• verb plot a map of (land)