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topography

 [tuh-pog-ruh-fee]   Origin

to·pog·ra·phy

   [tuh-pog-ruh-fee]
noun, plural -phies.
1.
the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area, district, or locality.
2.
the detailed description, especially 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.
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Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English topographye < Late Latin topographia < Greek 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
non·top·o·graph·i·cal, adjective
un·top·o·graph·i·cal, adjective
un·top·o·graph·i·cal·ly, adverb

Can be confused: topography, typography.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To topography

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Topography is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
topography (təˈpɒɡrəfɪ)
 
—n , pl -phies
1.  the study or detailed description of the surface features of a region
2.  the detailed mapping of the configuration of a region
3.  the land forms or surface configuration of a region
4.  the surveying of a region's surface features
5.  the study or description of the configuration of any object
 
to'pographer
 
—n
 
topographic
 
—adj
 
topo'graphical
 
—adj
 
topo'graphically
 
—adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

topography
early 15c., 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, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

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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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
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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