surface /sûrˈfis/

1. The outer boundary or face of anything
2. The outside or upper layer
3. A flat, two-dimensional geometric figure that has length and breadth but no thickness
4. An area
5. The outer appearance, character or texture
6. An aerofoil

1. Of, on, or near a surface
2. Superficial

To apply a surface or finish to

1. To bring or rise to the surface
2. To be exposed or revealed, to become apparent
3. To regain consciousness (informal)
4. To get out of bed (informal)

surˈfaced adjective

Having this or that kind of surface

surˈfacer noun

A person or thing that smooths or levels a surface

surˈfacing noun

1. Giving a surface to anything
2. Material for a surface layer
3. Washing surface deposits for gold

surˈface-active adjective

Able to alter the surface tension of liquids (see also surfactant)

surface activity noun

The alteration to the surface tension of liquids due to superactive substances

surˈface-craft noun

A floating, not submersible, craft

surface mail noun

Mail sent otherwise than by air

surˈfaceman noun

A workman who keeps a railway bed in repair

surface noise noun

The noise produced by the friction of a stylus on a record

surface plate noun (engineering)

A rigid cast-iron plate whose surface is accurately scraped flat, used eg to test the flatness of other surfaces

surface structure noun (linguistics)

The formal structure of sentences, esp when broken down into their constituent parts

surface tension noun

That property in virtue of which a liquid surface behaves like a stretched elastic membrane, clinging to the sides of a container

surface-to-airˈ adjective

(of a missile, etc) travelling from a base on the ground to a target in the air (also adverb)

surface-to-surˈface adjective and adverb

surˈface-vessel noun

surface water noun

1. Water lying on the surface of a road, etc
2. Drainage water

surface wind noun (meteorology)

The wind at a standard height of 10m (33ft) above ground

surface worker noun

A person engaged in any of the ancillary jobs in a coalmine not done underground

scratch the surface

To deal only superficially with an issue or problem

• half-caffs
• half-cafs
• half-calf
• half-cap
• half-caps
• half-caste
• half-castes
• half-centuries
• half-century
• half-chance
• half-chances
• half-checked
• half-cheek
• half-cheeks
• half-close
• incandesces
• incandescing
• incantation
• incantational
• incantations
• incantator
• incantators
• incantatory
• incapabilities
• incapability