[v. ser-vey; n. sur-vey, ser-vey] 
verb, noun, plural -veys.| 1. | to take a general or comprehensive view of or appraise, as a situation, area of study, etc. |
| 2. | to view in detail, esp. to inspect, examine, or appraise formally or officially in order to ascertain condition, value, etc. |
| 3. | to conduct a survey of or among: to survey TV viewers. |
| 4. | to determine the exact form, boundaries, position, extent, etc., of (a tract of land, section of a country, etc.) by linear and angular measurements and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry. |
| 5. | to survey land; practice surveying. |
| 6. | an act or instance of surveying or of taking a comprehensive view of something: The course is a survey of Italian painting. |
| 7. | a formal or official examination of the particulars of something, made in order to ascertain condition, character, etc. |
| 8. | a statement or description embodying the result of this: They presented their survey to the board of directors. |
| 9. | a sampling, or partial collection, of facts, figures, or opinions taken and used to approximate or indicate what a complete collection and analysis might reveal: The survey showed the percentage of the population that planned to vote. |
| 10. | the act of determining the exact form, boundaries, position, etc., as of a tract of land or section of a country, by linear measurements, angular measurements, etc. |
| 11. | the plan or description resulting from such an operation. |
| 12. | an agency for making determinations: U.S. Geological Survey. |
| sur·vey (sər-vā', sûr'vā') v. sur·veyed, sur·vey·ing, sur·veys v. tr.
To make a survey. n. (sûr'vā')pl. sur·veys
[Middle English surveien, from Old French surveeir, from Medieval Latin supervidēre : Latin super-, super- + Latin vidēre, to look; see weid- in Indo-European roots.] sur·vey'or n. |