Definition of topography
1a : 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 elevationsb : topographical surveying
2a : the configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of its natural and man-made featuresb : 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
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The ranch hunts like a property twice its size due to the cover and beautiful topography.
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An area's topography and obstacles such as tall trees and buildings also influence the price tag, Normand said.
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Unlike traditional master plans, the Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan will incorporate the city's topography, hydrology, road network and heritage as a mill town to rebuild the historic district.
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Discoveries like these change the topography of an academic field in an instant.
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As the events started and windsurfers, dinghies and skiffs flew by in the shadow of Sugarloaf Mountain, Mason freely admits Rio 2016 became as much about the topography as the sailing talent.
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The topography has changed so much that the geologists need to redraw the map of this part of the coast.
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On the ecological end, natural topography meant the Pine River received the brunt of toxic drainage and erosion from the factory.
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To fix that, Plageman uses her hands, and sometimes her whole body, to manually manipulate her prints, and in doing so creates a new topography on the photographs themselves.
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
First Known Use: 15th century
Other Cartography Terms
TOPOGRAPHY Defined for English Language Learners
topography
playDefinition of topography for English Language Learners
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: the art or science of making maps that show the height, shape, etc., of the land in a particular area
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: the features (such as mountains and rivers) in an area of land
Medical Dictionary
topography
playMedical Definition of topography
topographies
1: the physical or natural features of an object or entity and their structural relationships the topography of the abdomen the topography (size and fluorescent staining intensity) of human chromosomes—Science News
Learn More about topography
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See words that rhyme with topography Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for topography Spanish Central: Translation of topography Nglish: Translation of topography for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of topography for Arabic speakers
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