A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
A
Abut, Abutting Reaching or contacting without interval.
Acre Unit of area measure equal to 43,560 square feet.
Adjacent Near to but not reaching or contacting.
Adjoiner Adjoining owner and/or adjoining land of record.
Adjoining Touching or bounding at a point or along a line.
Along On and coincident with; same as upon.
Alley Narrow service roadway created by land platting.
Aliquot Division of a whole into parts without remainder.
And Informative term of inclusion; in addition to.
Angle Angular measure between directional lines.
Angle Right Clockwise horizontal angular measure.
Angle Left Counterclockwise horizontal angular measure.
Appurtenances Accessorial property, rights and/or interests.
Astronomic North North by celestial observation of Sun or stars.
Assumed North North by arbitrary definition and/or reference.
Azimuth Clockwise angle from a North or South reference.
B
Bank Upland acclivity adjoining a waterway.
Bank, Left or Right Referred bank of a stream, creek or river as one faces downstream in direction of flow.
Bearing Quadrantal angle East or West of North or South, from 0° to 90°.
Bed Land underlying a water body or roadway.
Beginning Informative term of commencement and/or origin.
Benchmark Object of known elevation by datum reference.
Block Platted lots; normally bounded by public streets.
BLM Bureau of Land Management of U.S. Department of the Interior; formerly the General Land Office(GLO).
Boundary Border line or exterior of a described parcel.
Bounded by Informative term of location or limitation.
Bulkhead Line Established line limiting land improvements into an abutting waterway.
C
Canal Artificial open channel for waterway purposes.
Cardinal North, South, East or West directions only.
Centerline, center of Line or point of equal division or separation.
Chain Unit of lineal measure equal to 66 feet.
Ch. Chain or chains abbreviation.
Coincident with Contacting a line or point without interval.
Commencing Informative term of beginning and/or origin.
Complementary Angle Remnant angle of 90 degrees less smaller angle.
Continue, continuation Extension of a line or course; normally a curve.
Contour Defined line of equal elevation on a map or plat.
Control Surveying and mapping reference infrastructure.
Corner Juncture of intersecting lines; locative point.
Course Line or boundary defined by bearing and distance.
Covenant Real property restriction and/or encumbrance.
CSM Certified Survey Map abbreviation.
Crest Highest elevation, uppermost level or height of.
D
Datum Standard or common reference base or system.
Deflection Angle Angle measured left or right of a line extension.
Dedicated Land granted for public or special purposes by an expressed intent in a conveyance or upon a plat.
Departure(dE) Longitudal interval between points.
Dia. Diameter abbreviation.
Direction Angular measure by reference to a defined line.
Distance Lineal length between points on a straight line.
Due North Normally infers True North; use of term is not recommended without a basis of reference.
E
Easement Non-fee land title right or interest.
Easting Coordinate value by longitudinal reference.
Egress Exiting or emerging right of access.
Elevation Vertical height from a defined reference datum.
Encumbrance Restrictive real property interest or right.
Equator Standard parallel of 0 degrees latitude.
Excepting Informative term of exclusion and/or withdrawal.
Extension of Continuation of defined line, boundary or course.
Exterior Angle Exterior angle formed by intersecting lines of an polygon or land parcel boundaries.
F
Flowage Line Defined contour line for water control purposes.
Frac. Fraction or fractional abbreviation.
Fractional lot Non-aliquot PLSS section division land remnant; normally abutting north and west township lines.
From Informative term of origin and continuance.
Frontage Land boundary abutting a roadway or waterway.
Ft. Feet or foot abbreviation.
Forty Quarter/quarter tract by aliquot PLSS division.
G
GLO General Land Office; now known as BLM.
Government lot Non-aliquot riparian land remnant by PLSS survey and designated upon an official GLO/BLM Township Plat.
Grade Surface level of ground or rate/degree of slope.
Grantee Person(s) or legal entity granted title rights and/or interests by a grantor.
Grantor Person(s) or legal entity granting title rights and/or interests to a grantee.
Graphic Scale Bar type scale upon a map or plat graduated by a representative length ratio; such as 1″=200′.
Grid Equally spaced parallel lines intersecting at right angles or 90°; normally upon a plat or map.
Grid north Central meridian of referred mapping projection.
H
Half By equal area except for PLSS divisions which are aliquot partition per S.59.62 Wis. Stats.
Heretofore Informative term of preceding/previous referral.
High water mark Highest level of a waterway at normal rise.
Horizontal angle Angular measure between intersecting lines in a level or horizontal plane.
I
I.D. Inside diameter abbreviation.
Ingress Entering right of access.
Included Angle Interior angle formed by intersecting lines enclosed polygon or land parcel boundaries.
Interior Angle Same as included angle above.
Intersection To meet or cross at a point; a road junction.
I.P. or I.R. Iron pipe or iron rod monument abbreviation.
L
Lane Narrow traveled way; normally created by usage.
Landmark Artificial or natural object defining lands; a boundary corner monument of public record.
Latitude(dN) Latitudnal interval between points; angular arc distance north or south of the Equator along a meridian of longitude.
Line Boundary, course or extension between points; may consist of straight or curvilinear segments.
Link Lineal measurement equivalent to 1/100th of a chain equal to 0.66 feet or 7.92 inches.
Lk. Link or links abbreviation.
Longitude Angular arc distance east or west of the Prime Meridian along a parallel of latitude.
Lot Smallest area of land suitable for building or occupational purposes; normally by platting.
Low water mark Lowest level of a waterway at normal ebb.
M
M. Meter or meters abbreviation.
Magnetic north Direction of north seeking end of compass needle.
Map Graphical representation of land to scale.
Main Channel Navigible channel of waterway; may not be center.
Mark Defined object, point or line of reference.
Meander line Line established along a waterway for purposes of surveying and mapping riparian land frontage.
Meander corner Boundary and meander line point established on the bank of an intersected or abutting waterway.
M.C. Abbreviation for meander corner.
Mean Sea Level Elevation datum referenced to averaged sea level observations over an extended period of time.
Meter Metric measurement equivalent to 3.280833>feet.
Mid-point Center or halfway point of a line segment.
Monument Natural or artificial physical object intended as a landmark; normally at a property corner.
Monumented by Informative term of monumentation or identity.
More or less Precautionary term of quantitative uncertainty.
N
Navigable In Wisconsin, capability of floating a canoe at any time of the year; normally, any waterway with a defined bed and banks.
Normal To At right angles to a line or radial to a curve.
Northerly, etc. General directional term; normally by reference.
Northing Coordinate value by latitudal reference.
O
O.D. Outside diameter abbreviation.
Of Informative term of inclusion and/or association.
Offset Perpendicular interval; to parallel and continue a preceding course, line or boundary.
On Same as along or upon.
One half Same as half; divisional unit by protraction.
Outlot Sub-standard land parcel; a platted land remnant.
P
Parallel with Separation by equal interval or spacing.
Parcel Area of land enclosed by defined boundaries.
Part of Informative term of division or protraction.
Perch Lineal measurement equal to 16.5 feet; a rod.
Plat Map of a survey; normally a recorded subdivision.
PLSS Public Land Survey System abbreviation.
Point Spatial location without defined dimensions.
Point of beginning Beginning and ending point of a defined boundary.
P.O.B. Point of Beginning abbreviation.
Pole Lineal measurement equal to 16.5 feet; a rod.
Portion Informative term of division or protraction.
Prolongation Continuation or extension of a straight line.
Proration Equitable distribution of excess or deficiency.
Proportionate Ratio of record to measured quantities.
Protraction Division into relative parts; land partitioning.
Principal meridian Line separating East and West PLSS Ranges.
Prime Meridian Standard meridian of 0 degrees longitude.
Private claim Legal foreign nation land grant, claim or title transfer; not included by original PLSS survey.
Q
Quadrant Quarter circular sector of 90 degrees.
R
Radial Line radiating from the center of a circle.
Random Line Non-monumented trial or temporary survey line.
Range North/South tier of PLSS townships.
Reference Mark Same as Mark above; normally monumented.
Reserved Retained existing title rights and/or interests.
Reserving Normally refers to new rights and/or interests.
Reservation Established Military or Native American tract.
Restriction Informative term of limitation; an encumbrance.
Retracement Confirmation or reestablishment of land boundary lines and/or corners according to a prior survey.
Reversion Legal repossession of land title rights and/or interests; such as vacated street right-of-way.
Right angle Angular measurement of 90 degrees.
Right-of-way Land by dedication, grant or easement for roads, utility or other designated purposes; normally described as a strip or corridor type parcel.
Riparian Land and/or ownership abutting a waterway.
Roadway Land and improvements for vehicular usage.
Rod Lineal measurement equal to 16.5 feet; a pole.
S
Said Informative term of referral to a preceding term.
Scale Relative ratio of map to ground distances.
Scale Factor Mapping projection distance conversion parameter.
Setback Line Zoning regulation boundary clearance limitation.
Shore, shoreline Riparian land boundary or frontage subject to the rise and ebb of the abutting waterway..
Slope Surface deviation from level or horizontal grade.
SPCS State Plane Coordinate System abbreviation.
Sq.Ft. Square feet abbreviation.
Station Computed or surveyed point; normally by standard measurement intervals along a defined centerline.
Street Improved public transportation corridor; also known as a boulevard, avenue, road or highway.
Subdivision Division of land into lots, blocks and streets by a survey upon a duly approved and recorded plat.
Subject to Qualifying referral to an existing encumbrance.
Supplementary Angle Remnant angle of 180 degrees less smaller angle.
T
Thence Informative term of continuance.
Thread Waterway centerline at ordinary or normal stage.
Tie Direction and distance measurement from a defined point to a nearby object for reference purposes; normally used for perpetuation of landmarks.
To Informative term of termination; exclusionary.
Toe Lowest or bottom edge of a land bank or slope.
Togetherwith Informative term of inclusion; in addition to.
Township Divisional PLSS unit containing 36 sections.
Tract Normally a land area enclosed by indefinite boundaries.
True north North by celestial observation of Sun or stars.
V
Vertical Angle Angular measurement in a vertical plane.
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W
Waterway Lake, pond, river, stream, creek, canal, etc.
Witness Corner Reference monument to an inaccessible corner, and normally established on the related boundary by a directional and distance offset.
Y
Yard Lineal measurement equal to 3 feet.
Yd. Yard or yards abbreviation.