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interface

[noun in-ter-feys; verb in-ter-feys, in-ter-feys]
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noun
  1. a surface regarded as the common boundary of two bodies, spaces, or phases.
  2. the facts, problems, considerations, theories, practices, etc., shared by two or more disciplines, procedures, or fields of study: the interface between chemistry and physics.
  3. a common boundary or interconnection between systems, equipment, concepts, or human beings.
  4. communication or interaction: Interface between the parent company and its subsidiaries has never been better.
  5. a thing or circumstance that enables separate and sometimes incompatible elements to coordinate effectively: The organization serves as an interface between the state government and the public.
  6. computer hardware or software designed to communicate information between hardware devices, between software programs, between devices and programs, or between a device and a user.
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verb (used with object), in·ter·faced, in·ter·fac·ing.
  1. to bring into an interface.
  2. to bring together; connect or mesh: The management is interfacing several departments with an information service from overseas.
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verb (used without object), in·ter·faced, in·ter·fac·ing.
  1. to be in an interface.
  2. to function as an interface.
  3. to meet or communicate directly; interact, coordinate, synchronize, or harmonize (often followed by with): The two communications systems are able to interface with each other.
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Origin of interface

First recorded in 1880–85; inter- + face
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

communicationcontactintermediarynetworkrelationshiphookupelementchanneltieassociationjuncturecrossingintersectionconfluenceterminalconsolidateincorporateorganizeunifyconform

Examples from the Web for interface

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • There remains the question of the precipitation of the tanning colloid at the interface.

    Animal Proteins

    Hugh Garner Bennett

  • They embody expectations and plans for change; and they need to interface between the given and the desired or the expected.

  • The interaction of the user with the machine is translated by interface programs into whatever a machine can process.

  • The experience of interface design can help us understand the direction of change to which the new pragmatics commits us.

  • Natural language accomplished the function of interface long before the notion came into existence.

British Dictionary definitions for interface

interface

noun (ˈɪntəˌfeɪs)
  1. chem a surface that forms the boundary between two bodies, liquids, or chemical phases
  2. a common point or boundary between two things, subjects, etc
  3. an electrical circuit linking one device, esp a computer, with another
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verb (ˌɪntəˈfeɪs)
  1. (tr) to design or adapt the input and output configurations of (two electronic devices) so that they may work together compatibly
  2. to be or become an interface (with)
  3. to be or become interactive (with)
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Derived Formsinterfacial (ˌɪntəˈfeɪʃəl), adjectiveinterfacially, adverb
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

Word Origin and History for interface

1882 (n.), 1967 (v.), from inter- + face. Related: Interfaced; interfacing.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
interface in Medicine

interface

(ĭn′tər-fās′)
n.
  1. A surface forming a common boundary between adjacent regions or bodies.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
interface in Science

interface

[ĭn′tər-fās′]
  1. The point of interaction or communication between a computer and any other entity, such as a printer or human operator.
  2. The layout of an application's graphic or textual controls in conjunction with the way the application responds to user activity. See more at GUI.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.