Also 6–7 -vay, -veigh, 7 servey. [f. next.] The action, or an act, of surveying; the object or result of this.
1. The act of viewing, examining or inspecting in detail, esp. for some specific purpose; usually spec. a formal or official inspection of the particulars of something, e.g., of an estate, of a ship or its stores, of the administration of an office, etc.
1548. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 203. The Certyfycath of the Suruey of alle the late Collagys, Chauntryes, [etc.].
a. 1570. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 407. Vpon which survey it will appere where and in whome the abuse is.
1596. Bacon, Max. & Use Com. Law, II. (1630), 7. A Court, whereunto the people of euery Hundred should be assembled twice a yeare for surueigh of Pledges.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. (Globe), 83. Having perceiv’d my Bread had been low a great while, now I took a Survey of it, and reduc’d myself to one Bisket-cake a Day.
1763. Brit. Mag., IV. 175. Compounders neglecting to … pay their composition-money, shall be charged with the duty, and become liable to a survey.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Survey, an examination made by several naval officers into the state or condition of the provisions, or stores belonging to a ship, or fleet of men of war.
1772. Jacob’s Law Dict. (ed. 9), s.v., On the falling of an estate to a new lord,… a court of survey is generally held.
1800. Colquhoun, Comm. Thames, vi. 237. The Regular Perambulations of the Police Boats in their daily and nightly surveys of the River.
1802. in East, Rep. Cases Crt. K. B. (1808), IV. 590. He had had a survey on her [sc. the ship] on account of her bad character.
1855. Leifchild, Cornwall, 145. Each gang of men accustomed to work together, selects one of their number to represent and act for them on the day appointed for the ‘setting’ or ‘survey.’
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. xxv. 597. James now directed a minute survey of that portion of Ralegh’s fleet.
b. transf. A written statement or description embodying the result of such examination.
1613. in Scott. Hist. Rev., Oct., (1910), 12. One ancient survey … which he confesseth Denton restored againe, but the same is since embezelled.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., II. 18. I had spare hours to couch in writing a survay of these Countreys.
1652. Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 82. In the servey or Breviarie of the dignities of the East onely three Provinces are reckoned under the Proconsul of Asia.
1801. Farmer’s Mag., April, 192. Not above thirty lines of the Survey are occupied upon this subject.
1808. East, Rep. Cases Crt. K. B., IV. 590, margin. The survey which accompanied the letter gave the ship a good character.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., V. xxii. 6. As an historical monument, the value of the Domesday Survey cannot be overrated.
C. A kind of auction for the sale of farms: see quot. 1796. local. (s.w.)
1725. Farley’s Exeter Jrnl., 28 May, 4. On Thursday … will be held a Survey at the House of William Haydon … for sale of the Inheritance of divers Messuages.
1796. W. H. Marshall, Rural Econ. W. Eng., I. 71. The disposal of farms for three lives is generally by what are provincially termed surveys; a species of auction; at which candidates bid for the priority of refusal, rather than for the thing itself.
d. ‘A district for the collection of the customs, under the inspection and authority of a particular officer. U.S.’ (Cent. Dict., 1891).
† 2. Oversight, supervision, superintendence.
1535. Act 27 Hen. VIII., c. 27 § 5. All hereditamentes apperteynyng … to any the said Monasteries … shalbe in the order survey and gouernaunce of the said Courte.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. xxiii. (1739), 41. He regulated the Courts of Justice under his Survey.
1654. G. Goddard, Introd. Burton’s Diary (1828), I. p. lxv. They had the survey, and, perhaps, advice in all.
3. The, or an, act of looking at something as a whole, or from a commanding position; a general or comprehensive view or look.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 46. Taking her eye from one particular obiect, she sent it abroad to make generall suruey of their countrey demeanours.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, V. iii. 16. He lost a wife, Whose beauty did astonish the suruey Of richest eies.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., ccxxii. He … O’relooks the Neighbours with a wide survey.
1718. Pope, Iliad, XV. 492. Great Hector view’d him with a sad survey, As stretch’d in dust before the stern he lay.
1840. Hood, Up Rhine, 44. I had time now to look round, and, on taking a survey of the company, was not sorry to recognise our old acquaintance.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, liii. After a moment’s survey of her face.
1871. Calverley, Charades, I. xi. in Verses & Transl., 74. Then to my whole [sc. pier-glass] he made his way; Took one long lingering survey: And softly, as he stole away, Remarked, ‘By Jove, a bird!’
b. concr. That which is thus viewed; a view, prospect, scene; † a delineation of this, a ‘view,’ picture (obs.).
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 13 Sept. 1666. I presented his Majesty with a survey of the ruines.
1821. Joanna Baillie, Metr. Leg., Lady G. B., 8. Delighted with the fair survey.
1844. Mrs. Browning, Lost Bower, x. In childhood, little prized I That fair walk and far survey.
1853. Phillips, Rivers Yorks., ii. 17. Overlooking with a magnificent survey the vale of Eden.
4. fig. A comprehensive mental view, or (usually) literary examination, discussion, or description, of something.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem., II. (Arb.), 131. Sturmius is he, out of whom, the trew suruey and whole workemanship is … to be learned.
1593. Bancroft (title), A Survay of the Pretended Holy Discipline.
1598. Stow (title), A Svrvay of London. Contayning the Originall, Antiquity, Increase, Moderne estate, and description of that Citie.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., I. Pref. *5 b. Let vs take a sleight suruey of our traffiques and negotiations in former ages.
1635. Person (title), Varieties: or, A Svrveigh of rare and excellent matters, necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons.
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 123. It may set us upon a more frequent and strict survey and review of our own character.
1780. Bentham, Princ. Legisl., xvii. § 26. Upon taking a survey of the various possible modes of punishment.
1836. Thirlwall, Greece, II. xi. 1. We have already taken a survey of the legends relating to the origin of the people of Attica.
1871. Blackie, Four Phases, I. 125. The most critical questions, which require comprehensive survey, cool decision, and impartial judgment.
5. The process († or art) of surveying a tract of ground, coast-line, or any part of the earth’s surface; the determination of its form, extent, and other particulars, so as to be able to delineate or describe it accurately and in detail; also, a plan or description thus obtained; a body of persons or a department engaged in such work.
Ordnance survey: see ORDNANCE 5.
1610. Folkingham, Feudigr., I. i. 1. Suruey in generall is an Art wherby the view and trutinate intimation of a subiect, from Center to Circumference is rectified. The Suruey of Possessions … is the Arts by which their Graphicall Description is particularized.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 201. Geometry, it may be, teacheth me Wisdome, not to lose a Pearch of my many Acres, through imperfect Survey.
1765. Museum Rust., V. 101. To any person … who shall make an accurate survey of any county, upon the scale of one inch to a mile.
1774. M. Mackenzie, Maritime Surv., p. xxii. Thence it is, that so few Surveys have been continued beyond the Extent of a large Bay, or River.
1841. Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., IV. 402/1. The accurate survey of the river Thames, from Staines to Yanklet-creek … has been just completed.
1856. Orr’s Circ. Sci., Mech. Philos., 260. For drawings of land-surveys, it is usual to employ chains as units of measurement.
1876. Voyle & Stevenson, Milit. Dict., s.v., Such surveys or military sketches are furnished by the topographical branch of the intelligence department.
1879. C. C. King, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 92/1. How, with very portable instruments, the survey of a small area is conducted.
transf. 1849. Mrs. Somerville, Connex. Phys. Sci., xxxvii. 434. Before he went to the Cape of Good Hope, in order to complete the survey of the heavens.
6. attrib. (chiefly in sense 5).
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., 205. We find in the said survey-booke of his [sc. Domesday], the King had in this Citie three hundred houses.
1772. Regul. H. M. Service at Sea, 19. He [sc. a Captain or Commander] is to demand from the Clerk of the Survey, a Survey-Book, with an Inventory of the Stores.
1800. Proc. Parl., in Asiat. Ann. Reg., 16/2. A reduction of survey charges.
1845. Stocqueler, Handbk. Brit. India (1854), 59. Great … service has been rendered in the survey department by officers of the Indian navy.
1890. L. C. d’Oyle, Notches, 52. I saw that it was a survey-party by their instruments.
