dumpy level

noun

, Surveying.

1. an instrument consisting of a spirit level mounted under and parallel to a telescope, the latter being rigidly attached to its supports.

dumpy level

noun

1. surveying a levelling instrument consisting of a horizontal telescope with various rotational arrangements and a spirit level

Word History and Origins

Origin of dumpy level¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Water from its dumpy level Shall elevate each thirsty soul: And if dull care approach our revel, We'll drown it in the sugar bowl.

From Project Gutenberg

He knew every subtle incline of the seven or eight miles of ground between Hintock and Sherton Abbas—the market-town to which he journeyed—as accurately as any surveyor could have learned it by a Dumpy level.

From Project Gutenberg