Topographing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Creating a detailed map or written description of the physical features and shape of a land area
2. Recording the elevation, contours, and natural and man-made features of a region on a map or chart
3. Surveying and representing the surface form of a place, including its hills, valleys, and terrain

Etymology: Ancient Greek "graphein" originally meant to scratch or incise a surface, not to write in ink, so the root of this word is literally the act of cutting a mark into something. Paired with "topos," meaning "place," it formed "topographia," a description of a locality. "Topograph," the verb's base, is built from the same "topo-" and "-graph" elements, and it means to map or survey the physical features of land. "Topographing" is simply its present participle, the form describing that surveying in progress.

Synonyms: map, survey