Geodesy

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Geodesy \Ge*od"e*sy\, n. [Gr. ?; ge`a, gh^, the earth + ? to
     divide: cf. F. g['e]od['e]sie.] (Math.)
     That branch of applied mathematics which determines, by means
     of observations and measurements, the figures and areas of
     large portions of the earth's surface, or the general figure
     and dimenshions of the earth; or that branch of surveying in


     which the curvature of the earth is taken into account, as in
     the surveys of States, or of long lines of coast. Geodetic

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  geodesy
       n : the branch of geology that studies the shape of the earth
           and the determination of the exact position of
           geographical points