surf

[surf]

noun

1. the swell of the sea that breaks upon a shore or upon shoals.

2. the mass or line of foamy water caused by the breaking of the sea upon a shore, especially a shallow or sloping shore.

verb (used without object)

1. to ride a surfboard.

2. to float on the crest of a wave toward shore.

3. to swim, play, or bathe in the surf.

4. to search haphazardly, as for information on a computer network or an interesting program on television.

verb (used with object)

1. to ride a surfboard on.

   We surfed every big wave in sight.

2. to search through (a computer network or TV channels) for information or entertainment.

surf

/ sɜːf /

noun

1. waves breaking on the shore or on a reef

2. foam caused by the breaking of waves

verb

1. (intr) to take part in surfing

2. 1. computing (on the internet) to move freely from website to website (esp in the phrase surf the net )

   2. to move freely between (TV channels or radio stations)

3. 1. informal,  to be carried on top of something

      that guy's surfing the audience

   2. ( in combination )

      trainsurfing

surf

1. The waves of the sea as they break upon a shore or a reef.

Other Word Forms

• surfable adjective
• surfer noun
• surflike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of surf¹

First recorded in 1600–10; earlier suff; of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of surf¹

C17: probably variant of _sough ¹

Synonym Study

See wave.

Example Sentences

High surf swept three people off the beach and into the ocean in Big Sur on Saturday, the second such incident at Garrapata State Park in a week.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The surfers were reported missing on April 27, 2024, while camping in Ensenada, where they had traveled from the United States to surf.

Read more on Barron's

Nansi walks into the surf and lets his ankles be buffeted by the waves.

Read more on Literature

Before his campaign, he worked at a surf shop and as a political journalist at Vogue—all the while acting as a self-proclaimed “silly goose” via social media.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This semester, a student senator told the campus paper she was glad Yale has so far surfed under the radar; she didn’t want to end up “like our peer institutions.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• swell 
• wave