surface
the outer face, outside, or exterior boundary of a thing; outermost or uppermost layer or area.
any face of a body or thing: the six surfaces of a cube.
extent or area of outer face; superficial area.
the outward appearance, especially as distinguished from the inner nature: to look below the surface of a matter.
Geometry. any figure having only two dimensions; part or all of the boundary of a solid.
land or sea transportation, rather than air, underground, or undersea transportation.
Aeronautics. an airfoil.
of, on, or pertaining to the surface; external.
apparent rather than real; superficial: to be guilty of surface judgments.
of, relating to, or via land or sea: surface mail.
Linguistics. belonging to a late stage in the transformational derivation of a sentence; belonging to the surface structure.
to finish the surface of; give a particular kind of surface to; make even or smooth.
to bring to the surface; cause to appear openly: Depth charges surfaced the sub. So far we've surfaced no applicants.
to rise to the surface: The submarine surfaced after four days.
to work on or at the surface.
Origin of surface
1Other words from surface
- sur·face·less, adjective
- sur·fac·er, noun
- non·sur·face, noun, adjective
- un·sur·faced, adjective
Words Nearby surface
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use surface in a sentence
Then tipped my feet up, pushed below the surface and held my breath, listening.
Meticulous in construction, Wu’s patterns nonetheless slip, slide and oscillate — much like images made by simply brushing paint onto a surface.
In the galleries: Rejuvenating the obsolete into unconventional art | Mark Jenkins | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostThree and a half billion years ago, all but a couple percent of the Earth’s surface was deep underwater, researchers have estimated, and LUCA lived far before that.
Make sure your mask stays folded so the inside doesn’t touch any other surface.
Why you shouldn’t ever wear your mask around your neck | Erin Fennessy | February 11, 2021 | Popular-ScienceAfter entering orbit, it will begin a landing attempt with the aim to place the rover on the surface in the massive impact basin Utopia Planitia.
Check out the first images of Mars from China’s Tianwen-1 probe | Erin Fennessy | February 10, 2021 | Popular-Science
The more resources and education society becomes equipped with, the fewer stories like yours will surface.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen | Parker Molloy | January 1, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe most exciting and thrillingly unique artist to surface in 2014.
The 10 Best Albums of 2014: Taylor Swift, Sia, Run the Jewels, and More | Marlow Stern | December 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSet a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, making sure that the bowl does not touch the surface of the water.
You can go as deep as you like, or float about on the surface.
D’Angelo’s ‘Black Messiah’ Was Worth Waiting 15 Years For | James Joiner | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNicki treats the obsession with her pop ambitions as an irrelevant, surface-level irritation.
Nicki Minaj Bares Her Own Vulnerability on ‘The Pinkprint’ | Rawiya Kameir | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFirst a shower of shells dropping all along the lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonSome of those halls that Mr. Meadow Mouse mentioned ran right out beneath the surface of the garden.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyIt depends upon the fact that bile acids lower surface tension.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddShe did shout for joy, as with a sweeping stroke or two she lifted her body to the surface of the water.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinIts vitals were going—were gone, before the smallest indications of mischief appeared upon the surface.
British Dictionary definitions for surface
/ (ˈsɜːfɪs) /
the exterior face of an object or one such face
(as modifier): surface gloss
the area or size of such a face
(as modifier): surface measurements
material resembling such a face, with length and width but without depth
the superficial appearance as opposed to the real nature
(as modifier): a surface resemblance
geometry
the complete boundary of a solid figure
a continuous two-dimensional configuration
the uppermost level of the land or sea
(as modifier): surface transportation
come to the surface to emerge; become apparent
on the surface to all appearances
to rise or cause to rise to or as if to the surface (of water, etc)
(tr) to treat the surface of, as by polishing, smoothing, etc
(tr) to furnish with a surface
(intr) mining
to work at or near the ground surface
to wash surface ore deposits
(intr) to become apparent; emerge
(intr) informal
to wake up
to get up
Origin of surface
1Derived forms of surface
- surfaceless, adjective
- surfacer, noun
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with surface
see on the surface; scratch the surface.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse