surface area

[sur-fis air-ee-uh]

noun

1. the total space occupied by all surfaces or faces of an object.

Word History and Origins

Origin of surface area¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

But it was just one of several vast blazes which have devastated Spain this summer, burning 0.8% of the country's surface area.

From BBC

Score the ham: Cutting shallow slashes across the surface creates more surface area for caramelization and helps the glaze seep into every nook.

From Salon

"What we're doing by spreading the seawater on a large surface area. It's a bit like pouring a drink on the floor and allowing the CO2 to come out of the seawater really quickly."

From BBC

While coral reefs cover less than 1 percent of the world’s oceans in terms of surface area, they house nearly one-quarter of all marine species.

From Salon

Focus groups with voters could help shape the polling questions, which would be intended to surface areas of hidden consensus, as well as to identify points of genuine conflict.

From Salon