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.
–verb (used without object)
5.
to survey land; practice surveying.
–noun
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.
Origin: 1425–75; late ME surveien (v.) < AF surveier, MF surv(e)ier, surveoir to oversee, equiv. to sur-sur-1+ v(e)ier < L vidēre to see
sur·vey (sər-vā', sûr'vā') v.
sur·veyed, sur·vey·ing, sur·veys
v.
tr.
To examine or look at comprehensively.
To inspect carefully; scrutinize: "Two women were surveying the other people on the platform"(Thomas Wolfe). See Synonyms at see1.
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.
Chiefly British To inspect and determine the structural condition of (a building).
To conduct a statistical survey on.
To range one's gaze leisurely over.
v.
intr. To make a survey. n.
(sûr'vā')pl.sur·veys
A detailed inspection or investigation.
A general or comprehensive view.
A gathering of a sample of data or opinions considered to be representative of a whole.
The process of surveying.
A report on or map of what has been surveyed.
An administrative agency charged with the responsibility of surveying: the U.S. Geological Survey.
[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.
[v. ser-vey; n. sur-vey, ser-vey] 
verb, noun, plural -veys.