survey
verbUK /səˈveɪ/
Etymology From Middle English surveyen, from Old French sourveoir, surveer (“to oversee”), from sour-, sur- (“over”) + veoir, veeir (“to see”), from Latin videre. See sur- and vision. Related to supervision.
To inspect, or take a view of; to view with attention, as from a high place; to overlook
- He stood on a hill, and surveyed the surrounding country.
- Round he ſurveys, and well might, where he ſtood / So high above[…]1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
To view with a scrutinizing eye; to examine.
- […]with ſuch alter'd Looks,[…] / All pale, and ſpeechleſs, he ſurvey'd me round;1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act V, page 66:
- By using the same classification system for all the dictionaries surveyed, it was possible to compare the lexical richness of each against the other.2012, James Lambert, “Beyond Hobson-Jobson: A new lexicography for Indian English”, in World Englishes, page 297:
To examine with reference to condition, situation, value, etc.; to examine and ascertain the state of
- It was his job to survey buildings in order to determine their value and risks.
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
- to survey land or a coast
- The proposed route had been surveyed by George Stephenson and consisted of a main line 41⅝ miles in length with two short branches, to Norbury and Poynton Collieries, and to Chapel-en-le-Frith.1960 March, J. P. Wilson, E. N. C. Haywood, “The route through the Peak - Derby to Manchester: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 148:
1 more example
- He explained that engineers had been able to examine the bridge visually, and had started surveying likely sites for access roads and where to place the heavyweight crawler crane. NR was also ordering the aggregates needed for the access roads.2020 August 26, “Network News: Mid-September before line reopens, says Network Rail”, in Rail, page 10:
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.
- all the Tenants Leases and Copies are surveyed1713, Giles Jacob, The Complete Court-keeper: Or, Land-steward's Assistant:
To investigate the opinions, experiences, etc., of people by asking them questions; to conduct a survey; to administer a questionnaire.
- Derived terms
- king of all one surveys, missurvey, nonsurveyed, resurvey, surveyability, surveyable, surveyal, surveyance, surveyee, surveying, surveyingly, surveyor, undersurveyed, unsurveyed