| 释义 |
topography|təʊˈpɒgrəfɪ|
[ad. late L. topographia (in Servius and Jerome), ad. Gr. τοπογραϕία, f. τοπογράϕ-ος (see topographer) + -ία, -y. Cf. F. topographie (16th c.).]
1. The science or practice of describing a particular place, city, town, manor, parish, or tract of land; the accurate and detailed delineation and description of any locality.
1549Compl. Scot. vi. 46 Al them that hes studeit in cosmographie, geographie, and in topographie. 1570–6Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 474 We might at the last by the union of many partes and papers compact one whole and perfect bodie and booke of our English Topographie. 1621Heylin Microcosmus Introd. 10 Topographie which is the description of a particular place, be it Towne, Citie or Village. 1642Fuller Holy & Prof. St. ii. vii. 75 Acquainted with Cosmography, treating of the world in whole joynts; with Chorography, shredding it into countries; and with Topography, mincing it into particular places. a1646J. Gregory Maps & Charts Posth. (1650) 323 The late Geographers..call these Kind of Descriptions (of small Parcels of the Earth..) Topographie. 1864Burton Scot Abr. I. iv. 164 note, He..explains how lifeless all history is without topography.
b. A detailed description or delineation of the features of a locality.
1432–50tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 329 Irlonde..whom Giraldus describenge in his Topographye, extollethe hit with mony laudes. 1586J. Hooker Hist. Irel. Pref. A iv b, in Holinshed, In our Topographie we haue at large set foorth and described the site of the land of Ireland. 1659R. Kilburne (title) A Topographie, or Survey of the County of Kent. 1665–6Phil. Trans. I. 121 A Map of the Moon..with a Topography as it were..of all the considerable places therein.
c. Localization, local distribution; the study of this.
1658Sir T. Browne Hydriot. ii. (1736) 31 If according to Learned Conjecture, the Bodies of Men shall rise where their greatest Relics remaine, many are not like to err in the Topography of their Resurrection. 1658― Gard. Cyrus i, Of deeper doubt is its Topography, and locall designation. 1835Ure Phil. Manuf. iii. 67 The topography of the textile manufactures is a most interesting subject of philosophical research. It investigates the causes why one district is occupied chiefly with cotton fabrics, a second with flax, a third with wool, and a fourth with silk.
2. The features of a region or locality collectively.
1847Lytton Lucretia ii. xxvi, Towards that [staircase] used by the servants, and which his researches into the topography of the mansion had..made known to him. 1858Gladstone Homer III. 519 [Virgil] is not less neglectful of the actual topography; for he implies that Ilium is among the hills. 1873G. C. Davies Mount. & Mere xxv. 224 The water is often very clear, and the frost has cut the weeds down so that one learns the topography of the river bed and the exact locale of the ‘homes’ of the fish.
fig.1642Milton Apol. Smect. Wks. 1851 III. 262 Having rambl'd over the huge topography of his own vain thoughts. 1764Reid Inquiry vi. §ii. 155, I confess I am not so well acquainted with the topography of the mind.
3. transf.
a. Anat. The determination of the position of the various parts and organs of the body; regional anatomy.
b. Zool. The determination and naming of the different regions or parts of the surface of an animal.
1847Lewes Hist. Philos. (1867) II. vi. 408 The organs are definitely indicated both as to position and size, by the topography of the skull. 1891Cent. Dict. s.v., The topography of a bird, a crab, an insect. |