geodetic survey

noun

1. a land area survey in which the curvature of the surface of the earth is taken into account.

geodetic survey

1. A survey of a large area of land in which corrections are made to account for the curvature of the Earth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of geodetic survey¹

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

They asked Derek van Westrum, a physicist at the National Geodetic Survey, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to investigate.

From Seattle Times

Michael L. Dennis, an Arizona-based surveyor and geodesist with the National Geodetic Survey, has been cataloging mix-ups with the two feet for years and repairing errors.

From New York Times

Fed up, Dr. Dennis broached the subject of retiring, or deprecating, the old U.S. survey foot with his boss, Juliana P. Blackwell, the director of the National Geodetic Survey.

From New York Times

A recent poll of 530 attendees of a National Geodetic Survey Webinar, who were mostly surveyors, found that 62 percent blamed confusion between the two feet for problems in their work.

From Scientific American

“It's kind of a mess,” says Michael Dennis, the National Geodetic Survey project manager overseeing the transition.

From Scientific American