topography

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noun to·pog·ra·phy \ tə-ˈpä-grə-fē \

Definition of topography

1 a :the art or practice of graphic delineation in detail usually on maps or charts of natural and man-made features of a place or region especially in a way to show their relative positions and elevations

b :topographical surveying

2 a :the configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of its natural and man-made features

b :the physical or natural features of an object or entity and their structural relationships

the topography of human chromosomes

the political topography of our time

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Examples of topography in a Sentence

a map of the topography of the coastline shows a significant loss of wetlands

Recent Examples of topography from the Web

The red spots called Bailey's beads occurs where the moon grazes by the Sun and the rugged lunar limb topography allows beads of sunlight to shine through in some areas.

— AL.com, "Favorite NASA images of the Great American Eclipse of 2017," 22 Aug. 2017
Free to local residents, the one-day, in-depth course also teaches fire behavior prediction and how to apply this knowledge to the community’s topography, fuels, weather, and the fire-safe condition of homes.

— debbi baker, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Free wildfire safety workshops offered for residents in high-risk areas," 21 Aug. 2017
The resulting topography is more dramatic, with stone bluffs and valleys that have long served as a creative muse for artists.

— andrea guthmann, chicagotribune.com, "Fall Art Tour shows colorful side of Southwest Wisconsin," 4 Aug. 2017
Only Sacramento residents with a deep knowledge of area topography and architecture will be able to guess each of the landmarks assembled by Bee staff.

— bill lindelof, sacbee, "Can you guess these Sacramento area landmarks from above?," 13 July 2017
Along with the popular Boulder Dash rollercoaster, the Sky Ride was uniquely designed to fit the steepest topography of Lake Compounce's property.

— don stacom, Courant Community, "Lake Compounce Closes Sky Ride Attraction Permanently," 5 July 2017
The fire is moving based on topography, making its behavior somewhat predictable.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Southern California is blanketed by the smell of wildfires; here's the latest.," 29 June 2017
The topography is riven with canyons, ravines and gullies, interrupted by striated buttes, hunkered beneath the cloudless sky like silent messengers from the past.

— mike sager, Smithsonian, "Will the Public Ever Get to See the “Dueling Dinosaurs”?," 28 June 2017
Time and natural forces are constantly carving up the world's topography, but holes drilled into the nearby rock suggest that Trollpikken was the victim of a grotesque operation.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "Norway's Famous Penis Rock Has Been Vandalized, and the Jokes Write Themselves," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'topography.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Topography combines top- with graph-, a root meaning "write" or "describe". The topography of the Sahara Desert features shifting sand dunes and dry, rocky mountains. A topographic (or topo) map not only shows the surface features of a region but also indicates the contours and approximate altitude of every location, by means of numerous curving lines, each indicating a single elevation. In other words, it shows a "three-dimensional" picture on a two-dimensional surface. Topo maps are commonly used by hikers, surveyors, government workers, and engineers, among other people.

Origin and Etymology of topography

Middle English topographie, from Late Latin topographia, from Greek, from topographein to describe a place, from topos place + graphein to write — more at carve

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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topography Synonyms

Synonyms

chorography, geomorphology, landscape, terrain, geography

Related Words

scenery; ground, land, landform, terrane, terrene

Other Cartography Terms

Robinson projection, benchmark, plat, projection

TOPOGRAPHY Defined for English Language Learners

topography

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noun

Definition of topography for English Language Learners

: the art or science of making maps that show the height, shape, etc., of the land in a particular area
: the features (such as mountains and rivers) in an area of land