topography
noun
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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.
Examples of topography in a Sentence
Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Authorities have conducted search and rescue efforts by ground and air, but these can be challenging in southern Arizona with uneven topography, limited visibility and temperature changes.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Known as Millie the Mapper or the Military Mapping Maidens, women produced topographic maps, interpreted aerial photography and helped advance photogrammetry, the use of photos to make 3D models of the Earth’s topography.
—Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Nathan Brown, an assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Texas at Arlington, said this sort of change in Greenland’s topography has happened before.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for topography
Cite this Entry
“Topography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topography. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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