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surface area

American  
[sur-fis air-ee-uh] / ˈsɜr fɪs ˌɛər i ə /

noun

  • surface areas
    plural
  1. the total space occupied by all surfaces or faces of an object.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of surface area

First recorded in 1820–30


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

When a piece of plastic breaks down into microscopically small components, its total surface area goes up exponentially.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

My house has gables and skylights, so surface area for solar is limited.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Using the detailed measurements from Timpanogos, the researchers established a relationship between a rock glacier's surface area and the volume of ice stored underneath it.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

But he said there was no significant increase in its surface area between Wednesday and Thursday, despite water continuing to flow into the lake.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Falco had only a few square kilometers of surface area, but it had still cost me a pretty penny.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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