survey

Definitions


[ˈsəːveɪ], (Verb)

Definitions:
- look closely at or examine (someone or something)
(e.g: her green eyes surveyed him coolly)

- examine and record the area and features of (an area of land) so as to construct a map, plan, or description
(e.g: he surveyed the coasts of New Zealand)

- investigate the opinions or experience of (a group of people) by asking them questions
(e.g: 95 per cent of patients surveyed were satisfied with the health service)


Phrases:

Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘examine and ascertain the condition of’): from Anglo-Norman French surveier, from medieval Latin supervidere, from super- ‘over’ + videre ‘to see’. The early sense of the noun (late 15th century) was ‘supervision’


[ˈsəːveɪ], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a general view, examination, or description of someone or something
(e.g: the author provides a survey of the relevant literature)

- an act of surveying a building
(e.g: the building society will insist that you have a survey done)

- an act of surveying an area of land
(e.g: the flight involved a detailed aerial survey of military bases)


Phrases:

Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘examine and ascertain the condition of’): from Anglo-Norman French surveier, from medieval Latin supervidere, from super- ‘over’ + videre ‘to see’. The early sense of the noun (late 15th century) was ‘supervision’




definition by Oxford Dictionaries