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surface Definition

sur·face (sʉr′fis)

noun

    1. the outer face, or exterior, of an object
    2. any of the faces of a solid
    3. the area or extent of such a face
  2. superficial features, as of a personality; outward appearance
  3. airfoil
  4. Geom. an extent or magnitude having length and breadth, but no thickness

Etymology: Fr < sur- (see sur-) + face, face, based on L superficies

adjective

  1. of, on, or at the surface
  2. intended to function or be carried on land or sea, rather than in the air or under water surface forces, surface mail
  3. merely apparent; external; superficial

transitive verb -·faced, -·fac·ing

  1. to treat the surface of, esp. so as to make smooth or level
  2. to give a surface to, as in paving
  3. to bring to the surface; esp., to bring (a submarine) to the surface of the water

intransitive verb

  1. to work at or near the surface, as in mining
  2. to rise to the surface of the water
  3. to become known, esp. after being concealed

surface Related Forms
sur′·facer noun
surface Synonyms

surface

n.

exterior, covering, superficies, facade; see cover 2, outside 1.

surface Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • scratch: Summary I've barely begun to scratch the surface of Perl here.
  • flour: Roll the puff pastry onto a floured surface until it is about 1cm thick.

Adjective modifier

  • smooth: Easy to paint - smooth surface Any kind of effect can be achieved on our products.
  • flat: Place slices of smoked salmon on a flat clean surface, cut slices into rectangles.
  • uneven: Hard going, as was very warm and uneven surfaces... .
  • outer: Often the coating is placed on the outer surface of the inner pane.
  • upper: The sky was very clear and blue, and the object was light on the ' upper surface ' on dark ' underneath ' .
  • textured: It is pounded with an ivory or wood mallet which may be incised with cross-hatch or linear grooves to produce a subtle textured surface.

Modifies a noun

  • temperature: The THC is also a major forcing of hurricanes, which feed off warm surface sea temperatures.
  • tension: The absence of surfactant, which normally reduces the surface tension in the lungs, leads to collapse.
  • coating: Learning Pathways - Certificate in Coatings Technology Flexible training in surface coatings technology Learning Pathways - finding the right modules for you.
  • roughness: Abrasive Wear Wear between two surfaces in relative motion due to particles ( three body ) or surface roughness ( two body ).
  • layer: The effective diameter of the fiber is also reduced through leaching of minerals from the surface layer.
  • water: Liquid surface water isn't essential to form most of the younger water features.

Noun used with modifier

  • playing: An all-weather playing surface, climbing wall and golf range are just some of the possible uses for this area.
  • soil: Plant with the top of the bulb just breaking the soil surface.
  • sea: The NODC holds data from the ocean water column extending from the sea surface to the sea floor.
  • ocean: Contribute to the development and evaluation of new processing methods for retrieved ocean surface vector wind data.

Possessives

  • earth: They would even put an air hole up from the casket to the earth's surface.

Preposition: of

  • earth: The metaphor of a corrupt word is that of a rotten tree, uprooted on the surface of the earth.
surface Quotes

I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth.

—Swift,Jonathan

Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls must dive below.

—Dryden,John

(The photograph was taken the day after I drowned. I am in the lake, in the center of the picture, just under the surface.)

—Atwood, Margaret Eleanor

Philosophy, if it cannot answer so many questions as we could wish, has at least the power of asking questions which increase the interest of the world, and show the strangeness and wonder lying just below the surface even in the commonest things of daily life.

—Russell, Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl

That's the classical mind at work, runs fine inside but looks dingy on the surface.

—Pirsig, Robert M(aynard)

There is no manner of doubt that a town surrounded by water is a very fine sight; but a town surrounded by land is much finer.Can there be any comparison in point of beauty, between the dull monotony of a watery surface, and the delightful variety of gardens, meadows, hills and woods ?

—Moore,John

Remember that a paintingöbefore it is a battlehorse, a nude woman, or someanecdoteöis essentiallya flat surface covered with colours assembled ina certainorder.

—Deniehy, Daniel Henry

We are like icebergs in the ocean: one-eighth part consciousness and the rest submerged beneath the surface of articulate apprehension.

—Gerhardie,William Alexander

That to this mountain-daisy's self were known The beauty of its star-shaped shadow, thrown On the smooth surface of this naked stone!

—Wordsworth,William