Real Dictionary

survey
If you give something a brief survey or a quick survey, you look at or consider all of it quickly, but not in detail.
countable noun: If someone carries out a survey of an area of land, they examine it and measure it, usually in order to make a map of it.
countable noun: If you carry out a survey, you try to find out detailed information about a lot of different people or things, usually by asking people a series of questions.
verb: If you survey a number of people, companies, or organizations, you try to find out information about their opinions or behaviour, usually by asking them a series of questions.
verb: If you survey something, you look at or consider the whole of it carefully.

survey in American English
a detailed study or inspection, as by gathering information through observations, questionnaires, etc. and analyzing it
to examine for some specific purpose; inspect or consider carefully; review in detail
to survey land
intransitive verb: to survey land; practice surveying
noun: an act or instance of surveying or of taking a comprehensive view of something
transitive verb: to take a general or comprehensive view of or appraise, as a situation, area of study, etc.

survey in British English
noun: a comprehensive or general view
verb: to view or consider in a comprehensive or general way

survey. in American English
surveying