The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Survey \Sur*vey"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Surveyed; p. pr. & vb.
   n. Surveying.] [OF. surveoir, surveer; sur, sor, over, E.
   sur + veoir, veeir, to see, F. voir, L. videre. See Sur-,
   and Vision, and cf. Supervise.]
   1. To inspect, or take a view of; to view with attention, as
      from a high place; to overlook; as, to stand on a hill,
      and survey the surrounding country.
      [1913 Webster]

            Round he surveys and well might, where he stood,
            So high above.                        --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To view with a scrutinizing eye; to examine.
      [1913 Webster]

            With such altered looks, . . .
            All pale and speechless, he surveyed me round.
                                                  --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To examine with reference to condition, situation, value,
      etc.; to examine and ascertain the state of; as, to survey
      a building in order to determine its value and exposure to
      loss by fire.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To determine the form, extent, position, etc., of, as a
      tract of land, a coast, harbor, or the like, by means of
      linear and angular measurments, and the application of the
      principles of geometry and trigonometry; as, to survey
      land or a coast.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. To examine and ascertain, as the boundaries and royalties
      of a manor, the tenure of the tenants, and the rent and
      value of the same. [Eng.] --Jacob (Law Dict.).
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Survey \Sur"vey\, n. [Formerly accentuated universally on the
   last syllable, and still so accented by many speakers.]
   1. The act of surveying; a general view, as from above.
      [1913 Webster]

            Under his proud survey the city lies. --Sir J.
                                                  Denham.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A particular view; an examination, especially an official
      examination, of all the parts or particulars of a thing,
      with a design to ascertain the condition, quantity, or
      quality; as, a survey of the stores of a ship; a survey of
      roads and bridges; a survey of buildings.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. The operation of finding the contour, dimensions,
      position, or other particulars of, as any part of the
      earth's surface, whether land or water; also, a measured
      plan and description of any portion of country, or of a
      road or line through it.
      [1913 Webster]

   Survey of dogs. See Court of regard, under Regard.

   Trigonometrical survey, a survey of a portion of country by
      measuring a single base, and connecting it with various
      points in the tract surveyed by a series of triangles, the
      angles of which are carefully measured, the relative
      positions and distances of all parts being computed from
      these data.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Review; retrospect; examination; prospect.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

survey
    n 1: a detailed critical inspection [syn: survey, study]
    2: short descriptive summary (of events) [syn: sketch,
       survey, resume]
    3: the act of looking or seeing or observing; "he tried to get a
       better view of it"; "his survey of the battlefield was
       limited" [syn: view, survey, sight]
    v 1: consider in a comprehensive way; "He appraised the
         situation carefully before acting" [syn: survey,
         appraise]
    2: look over carefully or inspect; "He surveyed his new
       classmates"
    3: keep under surveillance; "The police had been following him
       for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the
       bombing" [syn: surveil, follow, survey]
    4: hold a review (of troops) [syn: review, go over,
       survey]
    5: make a survey of; for statistical purposes
    6: plot a map of (land)

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

272 Moby Thesaurus words for "survey":
   abbreviation, abbreviature, abrege, abridgment, abstract, analysis,
   appraisal, appraise, appraisement, appreciate, approximation,
   article, assay, assemblage, assembly, assess, assessment, assize,
   assizement, audit, autopsy, boss, brief, calculate, calculation,
   calibrate, caliper, call-up, canvass, capsule, causerie, census,
   chaperon, check, check a parameter, check out, check over,
   check up, check up on, collection, colligation, collocation,
   combination, command, comment upon, comparison, compend,
   computation, compute, con, concourse, concurrence, condensation,
   condensed version, conduct a poll, confluence, conflux,
   congregation, conspectus, consumer research,
   consumer-preference survey, contemplate, contemplation,
   convergence, corralling, correction, criticize, data-gathering,
   deal with, descant, determination, dial, digest, discourse,
   discuss, discussion, disquisition, dissert, dissertate,
   dissertation, divide, domination, draft, enquiry, epitome, essay,
   estimate, estimation, etude, evaluate, evaluation, examination,
   examine, excursus, exposition, eye, eyeball inspection, eyereach,
   eyeshot, eyesight, fathom, feature, field of view, field of vision,
   first approach, gathering, gauge, gauging, give an examination,
   give the eye, give the once-over, go into, go over, graduate,
   handle, hard look, head, homily, horizon, ingathering,
   inquire into, inquiry, inspect, inspection, instrumentation,
   introductory study, inventory, investigate, investigation,
   junction, juxtaposition, ken, leer, leer at, limit of vision,
   line of sight, look at, look into, look over, lucubration,
   make a survey, measure, measurement, measuring, memoir, mensurate,
   mensuration, mete, meter, metric system, mobilization, monitor,
   monograph, morceau, muster, naked eye, note, observe,
   ocular inspection, ogle, ogle at, opinion poll, outline, outlook,
   outlook over, overhaul, overhauling, overlook, oversee, overview,
   pace, pandect, paper, paragraph, pass over, pass under review,
   peer at, perlustration, perspective, perusal, peruse, piece, plumb,
   poll, pore, pore over, postmortem, precis, preliminary study,
   prize, probe, prolegomenon, prospect, public-opinion poll,
   quality control, quantification, quantify, quantization, quantize,
   quarterback, questionary, questionnaire, range, rate, rating,
   remark upon, research paper, review, rodeo, roundup, rubric,
   run over, run-through, sample, scan, scanning, scope,
   scope of vision, screed, scrutinize, scrutiny, set an examination,
   set at, shortened version, sight, sightliness, size, size up,
   skeleton, sketch, sound, span, special article, step, study,
   superintend, surveying, syllabus, synopsis, take a long,
   take a reading, take stock of, take the measure, take up,
   telemetering, telemetry, term paper, the eye, theme, thesis,
   thumbnail sketch, topical outline, touch upon, tract, tractate,
   treat, treat of, treatise, treatment, triangulate, triangulation,
   valuate, valuation, value, vet, vetting, view, visitation, vista,
   visual examination, weigh, write up



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

SURVEY, The act by which the quantity of a piece of land is ascertained; the
paper containing a statement of the courses, distances, and quantity of
land, is also called a survey.
     2. A survey made by authority of law and duly returned into the land
office, is a matter of record, and of equal dignity with the patent. 3
Marsh. 226; 2 J. J. Marsh, 160. See 3 Greenleaf, 126; 5 Greenleaf, 24; 14
Mass. 149 1 Harr. & John. 20 1 1 Overt. 199; 1 Dev. & Bat. 76.
     3. By survey is also understood an examination; as, a survey has been
made of your house, and now the insurance company will insure it.