Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense surfaces, present participle surfacing, past tense, past participle surfaced
1. countable noun
The surface of something is the flat top part of it or the outside of it.
97% of all the water on the Earth's surface is salt.
...tiny little waves on the surface of the water.
The road surface has started breaking up.
Its total surface area was seven thousand square feet.
Synonyms: covering, face, exterior, side More Synonyms of surface
2. countable noun
A work surface is a flat area, for example the top of a table, desk, or kitchen cupboard, on which you can work.
It can simply be left on the work surface.
Place the fish on a flat surface and sprinkle the flesh with lemon juice and pepper.
Synonyms: worktop, top, table, counter More Synonyms of surface
3. singular noun
When you refer to thesurface of a situation, you are talking about what can be seen easily rather than what is hidden or not immediately obvious.
Back in Britain, things appear, on the surface, simpler.
Social unrest is never far below the surface in the capital.
It's brought to the surface a much wider controversy.
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Surface is used to describe the parts of the armed forces which travel by ship or by land rather than underwater or in the air.
In contrast with its surface fleet, Britain's submarine force was relatively small.
...Nato surface forces.
5. verb
If someone or something under water surfaces, they come up to the surface of the water.
He surfaced, gasping for air. [VERB]
Synonyms: emerge, rise, appear, come up More Synonyms of surface
6. verb
When something such as a piece of news, a feeling, or a problem surfaces, it becomes known or becomes obvious.
The paper says the evidence, when it surfaces, is certain to cause uproar. [VERB]
The emotions will surface at some point in life. [VERB]
The same old problems would surface again. [VERB]
Synonyms: appear, emerge, arise, come to light More Synonyms of surface
7. verb
When someone surfaces, they appear after not being seen for some time, for example because they have been asleep.
[informal]
There's no chance that he'll surface because he's bound to have heard by now. [VERB]
What time do you surface? [VERB]
Synonyms: get up, rise, wake up, wake More Synonyms of surface
More Synonyms of surface
surface in British English
(ˈsɜːfɪs)
noun
1.
a.
the exterior face of an object or one such face
b.
(as modifier)
surface gloss
2.
a.
the area or size of such a face
b.
(as modifier)
surface measurements
3.
material resembling such a face, with length and width but without depth
4.
a.
the superficial appearance as opposed to the real nature
b.
(as modifier)
a surface resemblance
5. geometry
a.
the complete boundary of a solid figure
b.
a continuous two-dimensional configuration
6.
a.
the uppermost level of the land or sea
b.
(as modifier)
surface transportation
7. come to the surface
8. on the surface
verb
9.
to rise or cause to rise to or as if to the surface (of water, etc)
10. (transitive)
to treat the surface of, as by polishing, smoothing, etc
11. (transitive)
to furnish with a surface
12. (intransitive) mining
a.
to work at or near the ground surface
b.
to wash surface ore deposits
13. (intransitive)
to become apparent; emerge
14. (intransitive) informal
a.
to wake up
b.
to get up
Derived forms
surfaceless (ˈsurfaceless)
adjective
surfacer (ˈsurfacer)
noun
Word origin
C17: from French, from sur on + faceface, probably on the model of Latin superficies
surface in American English
(ˈsɜrfɪs)
noun
1.
a.
the outer face, or exterior, of an object
b.
any of the faces of a solid
c.
the area or extent of such a face
2.
superficial features, as of a personality; outward appearance
3.
airfoil
4. Geometry
an extent or magnitude having length and breadth, but no thickness
adjective
5.
of, on, or at the surface
6.
intended to function or be carried on land or sea, rather than in the air or under water
surface forces, surface mail
7.
merely apparent; external; superficial
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈsurfaced or ˈsurfacing
8.
to treat the surface of, esp. so as to make smooth or level
9.
to give a surface to, as in paving
10.
to bring to the surface; esp., to bring (a submarine) to the surface of the water
verb intransitive
11.
to work at or near the surface, as in mining
12.
to rise to the surface of the water
13.
to become known, esp. after being concealed
Derived forms
surfacer (ˈsurfacer)
noun
Word origin
Fr < sur- (see sur-1) + face, face, based on L superficies
More idioms containing
surface
scratch the surface of something
Examples of 'surface' in a sentence
surface
The fish may have surfaced due to unusual cooling of the ocean depths.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They live on the sea surface with stinging tentacles dangling below.
The Sun (2008)
The problems that these advances also bring are more manageable on surface ships than anywhere else.
Mcinnes, Colin & Sheffield G.D (eds.) Warfare in the Twentieth Century (1988)
Turn out on to a floured surface and knead again for two minutes.
The Sun (2014)
We had a nice time in what appears on the surface to be a nice place.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Their thicker cut means there is less surface area of chip and therefore less fat is absorbed.
The Sun (2013)
The submarine had to surface but then faced rough seas.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Yet if one scratches below the surface there is cause for concern.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The flat surfaces are then applied to the snake bite.
Ben Macintyre JOSIAH THE GREAT: The True Story of The Man Who Would Be King (2004)
How far below the surface does he need to dive?
The Sun (2008)
The kitchen surfaces are a rich grey mink stone.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Rain lands on the surfaces of the vegetation and fills the hollows.
Jilbert, John Geography Basic Facts (1983)
Transfer the squeezed spinach to a work surface and slice through it a few times.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You have a new ability to look beyond surface appearances and opportunities that others miss.
The Sun (2009)
Soft ground was to blame for his defeat last time but this surface should suit.
The Sun (2008)
This was the last great clash between rival surface fleets.
Max Hastings Nemesis: The Battle for Japan, 194445 (2007)
Place the fish under the grill and cook until the surface of the fish turns brown.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Researchers say the continuing loss is most likely to be due to rising sea surface temperatures.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It will be his most highprofile public appearance since reports that he had suffered a heart attack surfaced last month.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It is far better to express emotions when they surface rather than feeling you need to keep a stiff upper lip.
MacEoin, Beth Healthy By Nature (1994)
Swimming becomes flight as the ocean's surface becomes the sea floor above which figures float.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Liquid at Earth surface temperatures.
Christianity Today (2000)
In other languages
surface
British English: surface /ˈsɜːfɪs/ NOUN
The surface of something is the top part of it or the outside of it.
...little waves on the surface of the water.
American English: surface
Arabic: سَطْحُ
Brazilian Portuguese: superfície
Chinese: 表面
Croatian: površina
Czech: povrch
Danish: overflade
Dutch: oppervlak
European Spanish: superficie
Finnish: pinta
French: surface
German: Oberfläche
Greek: επιφάνεια
Italian: superficie
Japanese: 表面
Korean: 표면
Norwegian: overflate
Polish: powierzchnia
European Portuguese: superfície
Romanian: suprafață
Russian: поверхность
Latin American Spanish: superficie
Swedish: yta
Thai: พื้นผิว
Turkish: yüzey
Ukrainian: поверхня
Vietnamese: bề mặt
British English: surface VERB
If someone or something under water surfaces, they come up to the surface of the water.
He surfaced, gasping for air.
American English: surface
Brazilian Portuguese: emergir
Chinese: 浮出水面
European Spanish: emerger
French: remonter à la surface
German: auftauchen
Italian: salire alla superficie
Japanese: 水面に浮上する
Korean: 수면 위로 올라오다
European Portuguese: emergir
Latin American Spanish: emerger
All related terms of 'surface'
sub-surface
the layer just below the surface of water, the earth, etc
road surface
the surface of the road, often asphalt
ruled surface
a surface that is the locus of all points on a moving straight line , as a plane , cone , etc.
surface area
the total area on the surface of a three-dimensional figure
surface mail
Surface mail is the system of sending letters and parcels by road , rail , or sea, not by air .
surface noise
noise produced by the friction of the needle or stylus of a record player with the rotating record, caused by a static charge, dust , or irregularities on the surface of a record
surface plate
a perforated circular metal plate that can be attached to the headstock of a lathe in order to hold flat or irregularly shaped workpieces
surface water
water found on the surface of the earth (not underground or in the atmosphere ), for example in rivers , seas, lakes, reservoirs , etc
work surface
A work surface is a flat surface, usually in a kitchen, which is easy to clean and on which you can do things such as prepare food.
caustic surface
a surface that envelopes the light rays reflected or refracted by a curved surface
control surface
a movable surface, such as a rudder , elevator , aileron , etc, that controls an aircraft or rocket
Riemann surface
a geometric representation of a function of a complex variable in which a multiple-valued function is depicted as a single-valued function on several planes , the planes being connected at some of the points at which the function takes on more than one value
surface-active
(of a substance, esp a detergent ) capable of lowering the surface tension of a liquid, usually water
surface grammar
grammar understood at the level of normal communication , rather than at the underlying level of 'deep' semantic and syntactic analysis
surface tension
a property of liquids caused by intermolecular forces near the surface leading to the apparent presence of a surface film and to capillarity , etc
surface worker
a person who works on or near the ground surface
surface-to-surface
Surface-to-surface missiles are fired from the ground or a boat and aimed at targets on the ground or at other boats.
air-to-surface
launched from an aircraft and directed at a land target
aspherical surface
a lens or mirror surface that does not form part of a sphere and is used to reduce aberrations
granulated surface
a roughened surface
on the surface
to all appearances
specific surface
The specific surface is the ratio of a particle's surface area to its volume or mass .
surface condenser
a steam condenser usually associated with a steam turbine in which the steam is condensed on the surface of tubes through which water is passed
surface structure
a representation of a string of words or morphemes as they occur in a sentence , together with labels and brackets that represent syntactic structure
surface-to-air
Surface-to-air missiles are fired from the ground or a boat and aimed at aircraft or at other missiles.
surface treatment
A surface treatment is a process applied to the surface of a material to make it better in some way, for example by making it more resistant to corrosion or wear.
surface temperature
The temperature of something is a measure of how hot or cold it is.
scratch the surface
If you only scratch the surface of a subject or problem , you find out or do a small amount, but not enough to understand or solve it.
surface acoustic wave
an acoustic wave generated on the surface of a piezoelectric substrate : used as a filter in electronic circuits
surface-active agent
a substance, such as a detergent , that can reduce the surface tension of a liquid and thus allow it to foam or penetrate solids; a wetting agent
surface friction drag
the part of the drag on a body moving through a fluid that is dependent on the nature of the surface of the body
come to the surface
to emerge ; become apparent
scratch the surface of something
to deal with or experience only a small part of something
saw
Saw is the past tense of → see .
faceplate
a perforated circular metal plate that can be attached to the headstock of a lathe in order to hold flat or irregularly shaped workpieces
surfactant
a substance, such as a detergent , that can reduce the surface tension of a liquid and thus allow it to foam or penetrate solids ; a wetting agent
Chinese translation of 'surface'
surface
(ˈsəːfɪs)
n
(c)[of object]表面 (biǎomiàn) (个(個), gè)
(c) (= top layer) 表层(層) (biǎocéng) (个(個), gè)
(c)[of lake, pond]水面 (shuǐmiàn)
(s) (of mind, emotions) 外表 (wàibiǎo)
vi
[fish, diver]浮出水面 (fúchū shuǐmiàn)
[news]被揭露 (bèi jiēlù)
[feeling]显(顯)露 (xiǎnlù)
(inf, = rise from bed) 起床 (qǐchuáng)
vt
[road]铺(鋪)(路) (pū (lù))
on the surface在表面上 (zài biǎomiàn shang)
1 (noun)
Definition
the outside or top of an object
The road surface had started breaking up.
Synonyms
covering
face
We climbed 200 feet up the cliff face.
exterior
The exterior of the building was a masterpiece of architecture.
side
The copier only copies onto one side of the paper.
top
skin
plane
facet
The stones shone back at her, a thousand facets of light in their white-gold settings.
veneer
bath panels fitted with a mahogany veneer
superficies (rare)
2 (noun)
It can simply be left on the work surface.
Synonyms
worktop
top
table
I placed his drink on the small table.
counter
He put the money on the counter and left.
working top
3 (noun)
Definition
the outward appearance as opposed to the real or hidden nature of something
A much wider controversy was bubbling under the surface.
Synonyms
façade
outward appearance
superficial appearance
(modifier)
Doctors believed it was just a surface wound.
Synonyms
superficial
external
outward
cosmetic
exterior
skin-deep
1 (verb)
Definition
to rise to the surface of water
He surfaced, gasping for air.
Synonyms
emerge
He was waiting outside as she emerged from the building.
rise
appear
come up
come to the surface
2 (verb)
Definition
to become apparent or widely known
The emotions will surface at some point in life.
Synonyms
appear
A woman appeared at the far end of the street.
emerge
Several interesting facts emerged from his story.
arise
if a problem arises later in pregnancy
come to light
Nothing about this sum has come to light.
crop up (informal)
As we get older health problems often crop up.
transpire
It transpired that he had left his driving licence at home.
materialize
He materialized at her side, notebook at the ready.
3 (verb)
Definition
to get up out of bed
What time do you surface?
Synonyms
get up
I got up and walked over to the door.
rise
He had risen early and gone to work.
wake up
wake
awaken
get out of bed
waken
I dozed off and I only wakened when she came in.
emerge
idiom
See on the surface
Additional synonyms
in the sense of arise
Definition
to come into notice
if a problem arises later in pregnancy
Synonyms
happen,
start,
begin,
follow,
issue,
result,
appear,
develop,
emerge,
occur,
spring,
set in,
stem,
originate,
ensue,
come about,
commence,
come to light,
emanate,
crop up (informal),
come into being,
materialize
in the sense of come to light
Definition
to become known or visible
Nothing about this sum has come to light.
Synonyms
be revealed,
appear,
come out,
turn up,
be discovered,
become known,
become apparent,
be disclosed,
transpire
in the sense of counter
Definition
a long flat surface in a bank or shop, on which business is transacted
He put the money on the counter and left.
Synonyms
surface,
top,
bar,
worktop
Synonyms of 'surface'
surface
Explore 'surface' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of crop up
Definition
to occur or appear unexpectedly
As we get older health problems often crop up.
Synonyms
happen,
appear,
emerge,
occur,
arise,
turn up,
spring up
in the sense of exterior
Definition
a part or surface that is on the outside
The exterior of the building was a masterpiece of architecture.
Synonyms
outside,
face,
surface,
covering,
finish,
skin,
appearance,
aspect,
shell,
coating,
façade,
outside surface
in the sense of face
Definition
the front or main side of an object, building, etc.
We climbed 200 feet up the cliff face.
Synonyms
side,
front,
cover,
outside,
surface,
aspect,
exterior,
right side,
elevation,
facet,
vertical surface
in the sense of facet
Definition
any of the surfaces of a cut gemstone
The stones shone back at her, a thousand facets of light in their white-gold settings.
Synonyms
face,
side,
surface,
plane,
slant
in the sense of materialize
Definition
to appear after being invisible
He materialized at her side, notebook at the ready.
Synonyms
appear,
arrive,
emerge,
surface,
turn up,
loom,
show up (informal),
pop up (informal),
put in an appearance
in the sense of rise
Synonyms
originate,
issue,
happen,
appear,
emerge,
occur,
spring,
flow,
turn up,
become apparent,
emanate,
crop up,
eventuate
in the sense of rise
Definition
to get out of bed, esp. to begin one's day
He had risen early and gone to work.
Synonyms
arise (old-fashioned),
surface,
get out of bed,
be up and about,
rise and shine,
rouse yourself
in the sense of side
Definition
either of the two surfaces of a flat object
The copier only copies onto one side of the paper.
Synonyms
face,
surface,
plane,
facet
in the sense of table
Definition
a piece of furniture consisting of a flat top supported by legs
I placed his drink on the small table.
Synonyms
counter,
bench,
stand,
board,
surface,
slab,
work surface
in the sense of transpire
Definition
to come to light
It transpired that he had left his driving licence at home.
Synonyms
become known,
emerge,
come out,
be discovered,
come to light,
be disclosed,
be made public
Additional synonyms
in the sense of veneer
Definition
a thin layer of wood or plastic used to cover the surface of something made of cheaper material
bath panels fitted with a mahogany veneer
Synonyms
layer,
covering,
finish,
facing,
film,
gloss,
patina,
laminate,
cladding,
lamination
in the sense of waken
Definition
to become conscious again or bring (someone) to consciousness again after a sleep