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