surf
the swell of the sea that breaks upon a shore or upon shoals.
the mass or line of foamy water caused by the breaking of the sea upon a shore, especially a shallow or sloping shore.
to ride a surfboard.
to float on the crest of a wave toward shore.
to swim, play, or bathe in the surf.
to search haphazardly, as for information on a computer network or an interesting program on television.
to ride a surfboard on: We surfed every big wave in sight.
to search through (a computer network or TV channels) for information or entertainment.
Origin of surf
1synonym study For surf
Other words from surf
- surf·a·ble, adjective
- surfer, noun
- surflike, adjective
Words that may be confused with surf
- serf, surf
Words Nearby surf
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use surf in a sentence
Other than the moments after they hatch and crawl into the surf, sea turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean.
How Sea Turtles Find Their Way - Issue 94: Evolving | Jason G. Goldman | December 16, 2020 | NautilusNearly half are located on Oahu’s North Shore, known as the Seven Mile Miracle, famous for its abundance of prime surf breaks and stunning beaches.
How Famous Surfers and Wealthy Homeowners Are Endangering Hawaii’s Beaches | by Sophie Cocke, Honolulu Star-Advertiser | December 5, 2020 | ProPublicaJim Haas, who owns a house down the shore near Chun’s Reef, received permission from the state in 2018 to put in a burrito after large surf destroyed his stone and mortar staircase and pulled the lanai off his property.
How Famous Surfers and Wealthy Homeowners Are Endangering Hawaii’s Beaches | by Sophie Cocke, Honolulu Star-Advertiser | December 5, 2020 | ProPublicaResidents are irritated that there is no beach, trail, or surf spot where they can escape the noisy machines.
The FAA Is Enabling Helicopters to Ruin the Outdoors | Frederick Reimers | October 3, 2020 | Outside OnlineWhile most travelers usually head to the western town of Rincón, known for its beaches and excellent surf, the north coast is also packed with adventure.
“I saw the moment when they looked down and saw this old couple having sex in the surf,” says Carlucci.
Anatomy of a Drone Porn: ‘Drone Boning’ Makes Sex Look Like Art | Aurora Snow | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOthers plan where to paddle into the surf off Black's Beach to catch a wave when the big breakers start rolling in.
Perhaps thanks to the surf and turf and the stellar Bordeaux and Sauvignon Blanc, there were no lost tempers.
Up To A Point: My Problem With People Who Agree With Me | P. J. O’Rourke | July 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTEven "surf Wax America," a seemingly innocuous homage to The Beach Boys' early hits, morphed into a meditation on drowning.
Remembering Weezer’s ‘The Blue Album,’ A Garage Rock Classic, on Its 20th Anniversary | Andrew Romano | May 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI should say that I surf in Barbados, just to see what happens in Season 5.
‘The Walking Dead’ Star Andrew Lincoln on the Terminus Cannibals Theory & Season Finale | Melissa Leon | March 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe is tied to a pole, carried out in the evening and dropped upon the beach, where it is just possible the surf may bear him away.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil | Maria GrahamUnder favourable conditions as many as four or five of these successive diminishing surf lines may be seen.
Outlines of the Earth's History | Nathaniel Southgate ShalerThey cannot, like the noble lifeboats, dash right into the caldron of surf, and dare the sands and seas to do their worst!
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands | R.M. BallantyneHere the surf was like a boiling caldron, but there was not depth enough to admit of heavy seas.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands | R.M. BallantyneYes; it was of no use; no boat could live in the surf at the foot of the Stack cliffs, and the sailors had given it up in despair.
Eric, or Little by Little | Frederic W. Farrar
British Dictionary definitions for surf
/ (sɜːf) /
waves breaking on the shore or on a reef
foam caused by the breaking of waves
(intr) to take part in surfing
computing (on the internet) to move freely from website to website (esp in the phrase surf the net)
to move freely between (TV channels or radio stations)
informal to be carried on top of something: that guy's surfing the audience
(in combination): trainsurfing
Origin of surf
1Derived forms of surf
- surfable, adjective
- surflike, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for surf
[ sûrf ]
The waves of the sea as they break upon a shore or a reef.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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