Etimology
From French surface. Doublet of superficies.
noun
surface (plural surfaces)
The overside or up-side of a flat object such as a table, or of a liquid.
The outside hull of a tangible object.
(figurative) Outward or external appearance.
(mathematics, geometry) The locus of an equation (especially one with exactly two degrees of freedom) in a more-than-two-dimensional space.
Examples
A very neat old woman, still in her good outdoor coat and best beehive hat, was sitting at a polished mahogany table on whose surface there were several scored scratches so deep that a triangular piece of the veneer had come cleanly away, […].
Use the lowest light level required. Be mindful of surface conditions, as some surfaces may reflect more light into the night sky than was intended.
Of all the transitions brought about on the Earth’s surface by temperature change, the melting of ice into water is the starkest. It is binary. And for the land beneath, the air above and the life around, it changes everything.
[The researchers] noticed many of their pieces of [plastic marine] debris sported surface pits around two microns across.
On the surface, the spy looked like a typical businessman.
Such characters as have nothing but external accompliſhments to recommend them, may indeed be greatly admired and approved by vain and weak underſtandings, which penetrate no deeper than the ſurface; but they are deſpiſed by all the truly ſenſible, and pitied by all the truly good.
“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, […].
Related words
synonyms
overside
superfice (archaic)
related terms
surficial
verb
surface (third-person singular simple present surfaces, present participle surfacing, simple past and past participle surfaced)
(transitive) To provide something with a surface.
(transitive) To apply a surface to something.
(intransitive) To rise to the surface.
(transitive) To bring to the surface.
(intransitive, figurative) To come out of hiding.
(intransitive, of information or facts) To become known or apparent; to appear or be found.
(transitive) To make (information or facts) known.
(intransitive) To work a mine near the surface.
Examples
The crew surfaced the road with bitumen.
There was great relief when the missing diver finally surfaced.
Sage went immediately to work; Damien surfaced the submarine and readied the group to meet outside the hatch.
Subordinate clauses, by contrast, exhibit V1 or V2 only around 35% of the time, with the verb usually surfacing later.