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:

Surveying \Sur*vey"ing\, n.
   That branch of applied mathematics which teaches the art of
   determining the area of any portion of the earth's surface,
   the length and directions of the bounding lines, the contour
   of the surface, etc., with an accurate delineation of the
   whole on paper; the act or occupation of making surveys.
   [1913 Webster]

   Geodetic surveying, geodesy.

   Maritime surveying, or Nautical surveying, that branch of
      surveying which determines the forms of coasts and
      harbors, the entrances of rivers, with the position of
      islands, rocks, and shoals, the depth of water, etc.

   Plane surveying. See under Plane, a.

   Topographical surveying, that branch of surveying which
      involves the process of ascertaining and representing upon
      a plane surface the contour, physical features, etc., of
      any portion of the surface of the earth.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

surveying
    n 1: the practice of measuring angles and distances on the
         ground so that they can be accurately plotted on a map; "he
         studied surveying at college"

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

52 Moby Thesaurus words for "surveying":
   altimetry, appraisal, appraisement, approximation, assessment,
   assize, assizement, bathymetry, biometrics, biometry, cadastration,
   calculation, cartography, chorography, computation, correction,
   craniometry, determination, estimate, estimation, evaluation,
   gauging, geodesy, geodetic satellite, geodetics, geography,
   goniometry, hypsography, hypsometry, instrumentation, measure,
   measurement, measuring, mensuration, metric system, metrology,
   navigation, oceanography, orbiting geophysical observatory,
   planimetry, psychometrics, psychometry, quantification,
   quantization, rating, stereometry, survey, telemetering, telemetry,
   topography, triangulation, valuation