1. To examine or to look at comprehensively.
2. To inspect carefully; to scrutinize: The police were surveying the people who were getting off the train to see if they could see the criminal that they were looking for.
3. To determine the boundaries, area, or elevations of (land or structures on the earth's surface) by means of measuring angles and distances, using the techniques of geometry and trigonometry.
4. Etymology: from Old French surveeir; which came from Middle Latin supervidere, "to oversee"; from Latin super-, "over" + videre, "to see, to look".

The measurement of dimensional relationships, as of horizontal distances, elevations, directions, and angles, on the earth's surface especially for use in locating property boundaries, construction layout, and mapmaking.

A method of prospecting below the surface of the earth: The process involves the use of electromagnetic surveying during which the use of electric current waves on the top level are utilized to penetrate into the soil and to indicate if there are any new ores down below.

Such electromagnetic surveying can determine if there is gold, silver, or other metals by finding them and then recording their existence to those who are looking for the minerals.