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topography - 7 dictionary results
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to⋅pog⋅ra⋅phy

  [tuh-pog-ruh-fee]
Use topography in a Sentence
–noun, plural -phies.
1. the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area, district, or locality.
2. the detailed description, esp. by means of surveying, of particular localities, as cities, towns, or estates.
3. the relief features or surface configuration of an area.
4. the features, relations, or configuration of a structural entity.
5. a schema of a structural entity, as of the mind, a field of study, or society, reflecting a division into distinct areas having a specific relation or a specific position relative to one another.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME topographye < LL topographia < Gk topographía. See topo-, -graphy

Related forms:
top⋅o⋅graph⋅ic  [top-uh-graf-ik] , top⋅o⋅graph⋅i⋅cal, adjective
top⋅o⋅graph⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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to·pog·ra·phy   (tə-pŏg'rə-fē)   
n.   pl. to·pog·ra·phies
  1. Detailed, precise description of a place or region.
  2. Graphic representation of the surface features of a place or region on a map, indicating their relative positions and elevations.
  3. A description or an analysis of a structured entity, showing the relations among its components: In the topography of the economy, several depressed areas are revealed.
    1. The surface features of a place or region.
    2. The surface features of an object: The topography of a crystal.
  5. The surveying of the features of a place or region.
  6. The study or description of an anatomical region or part.
top'o·graph' (tŏp'ə-grāf') n., top'o·graph'ic (-grāf'ĭk), top'o·graph'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj., top'o·graph'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Topography

To*pog"ra*phy\, n. [F. topographie, Gr. ?; ? a place + ? to write.] The description of a particular place, town, manor, parish, or tract of land; especially, the exact and scientific delineation and description in minute detail of any place or region.

Note: Topography, as the description of particular places, is distinguished from chorography, the description of a region or a district, and for geography, the description of the earth or of countries. --Brande & C.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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topography 
1432, from L.L. topographia, from Gk. topographia "a description of a place," from topographos "describing a place" (as a noun, "one who is skilled in topography"), from topos "place" + graphein "to write."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: to·pog·ra·phy
Pronunciation: t&-'päg-r&-fE
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -phies
1 : the physical or natural features of an object or entity and their structural relationships topography of the abdomen> topographies with respect to their membrane —William Wickner> topography (size and fluorescent staining intensity) of human chromosomes —Science News>
2 : REGIONAL ANATOMY
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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topography to·pog·ra·phy (tə-pŏg'rə-fē)
n.
The description of the regions of the body or of a body part, especially the regions of a definite and limited area of the surface.

top'o·graph'ic (-grāf'ĭk) or top'o·graph'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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topography   (tə-pŏg'rə-fē)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. The three-dimensional arrangement of physical attributes (such as shape, height, and depth) of a land surface in a place or region. Physical features that make up the topography of an area include mountains, valleys, plains, and bodies of water. Human-made features such as roads, railroads, and landfills are also often considered part of a region's topography.
  2. The detailed description or drawing of the physical features of a place or region, especially in the form of contour maps.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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