Definition

1. Noun:

   • The act of looking over or observing something in a general or comprehensive way: A survey involves examining or considering something as a whole to get an overall view or understanding.
   • A detailed inspection or investigation, often for a specific purpose: A survey can be a formal study, typically involving the collection of data through questions or measurements.
   • A summary or overview of a subject: A survey can be a general description or report that summarizes the main points of a topic.

2. Verb:

   • To look over or examine something comprehensively: To survey means to inspect, consider, or appraise something broadly and carefully.
   • To conduct a formal study or poll: To survey involves gathering information from a group of people or about an area through systematic questioning or measurement.
   • To measure and map an area of land: In a technical sense, to survey land is to determine its precise boundaries, contours, and features.

Examples

• Noun:

  • The report provides a comprehensive survey of recent economic trends.
  • They conducted a customer satisfaction survey to improve their services.
  • From the hilltop, he had a clear survey of the valley below.

• Verb:

  • She paused to survey the damage after the storm.
  • The company will survey its employees about workplace conditions.
  • Engineers need to survey the land before construction can begin.

Advanced Usage

• "to survey the scene": to look carefully at a situation or location.

  • The detective arrived and began to survey the scene of the accident.

• "to survey the damage": to assess the extent of harm or destruction.

  • After the fire, the owners returned to survey the damage to their home.

• "to survey the field": to review or assess the current state of a particular area of activity or knowledge.

  • The introductory chapter surveys the field of modern linguistics.

Variants and Related Words

• Surveyor (n): a person whose job is to survey land, buildings, or other features.

  • The surveyor marked the property boundaries.

• Surveying (n): the science or profession of making land surveys.

  • He studied surveying and mapping at university.

Synonyms

• Examine: to inspect something closely.
• Inspect: to look at something carefully, typically for assessment.
• Review: to assess or examine something formally.
• Study: a detailed investigation and analysis of a subject.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Survey" is not commonly used with particles to form distinct phrasal verbs. The meaning is typically carried by the verb itself or through prepositional phrases like "survey of" or "survey for.")

Related Idioms

• To take a broad survey: to consider something from a wide perspective.
  • The book takes a broad survey of European history in the 20th century.

Noun

1. the act of looking or seeing or observing
   • he tried to get a better view of it
   • his survey of the battlefield was limited
2. short descriptive summary (of events)
3. a detailed critical inspection

Verb

1. plot a map of (land)
2. make a survey of; for statistical purposes
3. hold a review (of troops)
4. keep under surveillance
   • The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing
5. look over carefully or inspect
   • He surveyed his new classmates
6. consider in a comprehensive way
   • He appraised the situation carefully before acting