Plat
Also called: plat map, subdivision plat, recorded plat
A recorded map of a subdivision or parcel showing lot lines, dimensions, bearings, corner monuments, easements and streets. Filed with the county when land is divided; it's the drawing your deed's legal description refers to and the first thing to pull before looking for property pins.
If your deed says something like “Lot 14, Block 3, Meadowbrook Estates, as recorded in Plat Book 22, Page 41,” that plat book page is the plat. It shows every lot in the subdivision with the length and bearing of each line, a symbol at each corner noting what monument was set, and dashed lines for easements. Most county recorders now have them online for free.
Reading one: distances are in feet and hundredths (120.00’), bearings are compass directions from north or south (N 89°30’15” E), and corner notes like “IRS 5/8” mean a 5/8-inch iron rod was set. The plat is the record; the pins in the ground are the evidence; a survey reconciles the two.
Rural parcels that were never subdivided may not have a plat, only a metes-and-bounds description in the deed — which is a large part of why they cost more to survey.