Defintions

I have numerous glossaries and dictionaries of survey, mapping, and geodesy related terms. They are all authoritative for thier specified purpose. Blacks law is a solid reference, but the only absolute definitions are in statute and rule. Your surveying vocabulary should be developed from numerous sources and must evolve as things change.

Hope that helps, Tom 

I learned something new today while standing in the candy section of a convenience store.  Available for me to purchase were bags of Deer Pellets, Moose Plop, Elk Scat and Bear Poop.  In fine print, one could discovered the true ingredients were milk chocolate coating over raisins, cookie dough balls, peanuts and malted milk balls.  Sometimes word use is dependent on what the author thinks the definition of something SHOULD BE.  Most people, including professional consultants, do not dig through various resources to come up with the one and only term that defines what they mean to say.

Or as lawyer would say, "What do you want it to mean?"

I frequently reference Blacks as well as Decisions by Ken Gold, which is applicable to my survey work in Texas. Other references depending on where and what I am doing. Sometimes I put out a poll on Surveyorconnect.com to get an opinion on what some obscure word in an old deed means or what is the best word to use for a given situation.

I'm guessing that you're after an answer that somehow backs up some presumption in hopes that it solves whatever predicament you're in the middle of

It depends on what year and where the word was used.  I had a bear of a time figuring out what a zill or zil apple was.  Google didn't help nor did Black's.  I spoke with at least ten elderly locals before meeting a ninety old women who, upon being asked, looked at me like I was about as bright as 2am and said, "Honey, that's just a little ole wild apple, some call them crab."

I've done similarly for colloquial terms relating to buildings, other trees, boundary monuments, etc..

I love me some internet, but having a large and organized home library with numerous dictionaries dating back to the early 1900s is nice too, and faster. 

@murphy 

Did you find the tree?

@fairbanksls 

Yes, and the pipe in its shadow.  This was in the Blue Ridge Mountains near aptly named Zionville, NC.