surveying

1 5.8

Measuring land to find exact places, distances, and angles for maps or building

noun
/sərˈveɪɪŋ/

Specialized

: agrimensura

Surveying revealed that about half of the residents initially believed that their tanks had never been pumped (Table 3).
surveying and mapping

But we apply a pretty strategic plan to surveying and completely scouring an area.

Examples

After surveying the land, the engineer presented a detailed report to the developers.
The whole process, from surveying to completion, took only two or three hours.
In 2007, she was appointed to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board, and has served as Chair since 2011.

Blog text (33)
Surveying and documentation continue to be cornerstones of good conservation and preservation practice.

Academic text (2012)
The study, which is being conducted by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, will record the wall's length from east to west (from the Gobi Desert to the Yellow Sea), since the wall was built to protect against invaders from the north.

Blog text (21)
The team conducted surveying to map the construction site accurately before beginning the project.
Surveying is just one activity that routinely takes place in New York State caves.

Compounds

surveying instrument

Specialized

1 5.1

A tool that measures distance, angles, and height to map land

How Technical

photoreconnaissance

Specialized

7.7

surveying

Specialized

1 5.8

measuring

20 2.2

Surface Forms

surveying singular

surveyings plural

Morphology

surveying = survey (transparent) = survey + ing

Standard gerund/nominalization from the verb 'survey' using '-ing' to denote the activity or practice.

Etymology

The word surveying comes from old parts sur- 'over' and -vey 'to see', like the word 'view'. So surveying is literally 'looking over' land to measure and map, which is why surveyors check positions and distances before building.