Definition

1. Noun:
   • A surveying technique: A method of surveying land or large areas by dividing them into a network of triangles. The length of one side of a triangle (the baseline) and its angles with the other two sides are measured, allowing the lengths of the other sides and thus distances across the area to be calculated.
   • A method of determining location: A trigonometric technique for pinpointing the exact location of a fixed point (e.g., a ship, an earthquake's epicenter) by measuring the angles to it from two other fixed points a known distance apart.

Usage

• In surveying and mapping:
  • The cartographers used triangulation to create an accurate map of the mountainous region.
  • Before modern GPS, triangulation was the primary method for large-scale land surveys.
• In navigation and positioning:
  • The ship's captain determined their position using triangulation from two known coastal landmarks.
  • Seismologists use triangulation to locate the epicenter of an earthquake based on data from multiple stations.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative/Social Science Use: The term is used metaphorically in social sciences and research to describe a method of increasing the validity of findings by using multiple data sources, theories, or methods.
  • The researcher employed methodological triangulation, combining surveys, interviews, and observation.
• "Triangulation station": A fixed point used in surveying, often marked by a permanent brass or metal disc.
  • The hiker found an old triangulation station at the summit of the hill.

Variants and Related Words

• Triangulate (verb): To determine or form triangles for the purpose of surveying or locating something.
  • The team will triangulate the signal to find its source.
• Triangulated (adjective): Describing something determined or structured using triangulation.
  • The map featured a triangulated network of survey points.

Synonyms

• Trilateration: A similar surveying method that measures the lengths of the sides of triangles rather than angles. (Note: While related, it is a distinct technical method).
• Geodetic surveying: A broader term for high-accuracy surveying that often employs triangulation.

Related Phrases

• Triangulation of data: (Research methodology) The use of multiple methods or data sources to study one phenomenon.
  • The study's credibility was strengthened by the triangulation of data.
• Triangulation point: Another term for a triangulation station.
  • We used the old triangulation point as a reference for our hike.

Noun

1. a method of surveying; the area is divided into triangles and the length of one side and its angles with the other two are measured, then the lengths of the other sides can be calculated
2. a trigonometric method of determining the position of a fixed point from the angles to it from two fixed points a known distance apart; useful in navigation