surface
see also: Surface
Etymology

From .

Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ˈsɜːfɪs/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈsɝːfəs/
Noun

surface (plural surfaces)

  1. The overside or up-side of a flat object such as a table, or of a liquid.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC ↗:
      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, […].
  2. The outside hull of a tangible object.
  3. (figurative) Outward or external appearance.
    On the surface, the spy looked like a typical businessman.
    • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC ↗:
      “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, […].
  4. (mathematics, geometry) The locus of an equation (especially one with exactly two degrees of freedom) in a more-than-two-dimensional space.
Synonyms Related terms Translations Translations Verb

surface (surfaces, present participle surfacing; simple past and past participle surfaced)

  1. (transitive) To provide something with a surface.
  2. (transitive) To apply a surface to something.
    The crew surfaced the road with bitumen.
  3. (intransitive) To rise to the surface.
    There was great relief when the missing diver finally surfaced.
  4. (transitive) To bring to the surface.
    • 2007, Patrick Valentine, The Sage of Aquarius, page 182:
      Sage went immediately to work; Damien surfaced the submarine and readied the group to meet outside the hatch.
  5. (intransitive, figurative) To come out of hiding.
  6. (intransitive, of information, facts, content, etc) To become known or apparent; to appear or be found.
    • 2024 May 24, Keith Habersberger, "The Try Guys Tell All ↗" (video on Anthony Padilla's YouTube channel), 5:20:
      They're not growing. Why would I surface them to new people? [...That] makes our video surface less, and that makes the next video surface less.
  7. (transitive) To make (information, facts, content, etc) known.
    • 2024 May 24, Keith Habersberger, "The Try Guys Tell All ↗" (video on Anthony Padilla's YouTube channel), 5:20:
      They're not growing. Why would I surface them to new people? [...That] makes our video surface less, and that makes the next video surface less.
  8. (intransitive) To work a mine near the surface.
Translations Translations
Surface
Proper noun
  1. Surname.



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