surface

1 of 3

noun

sur·​face ˈsər-fəs How to pronounce surface (audio)
1
: the exterior or upper boundary of an object or body
on the surface of the water
the earth's surface
2
: a plane or curved two-dimensional locus of points (such as the boundary of a three-dimensional region)
plane surface
surface of a sphere
3
a
: the external or superficial aspect of something
trouble lurks below the surface
b
: an external part or layer
sanded the rough surfaces

surface

2 of 3

adjective

1
a
: of, located on, or designed for use at the surface of something
b
: situated, transported, or employed on the surface of the earth
surface mail
surface vehicles
2
: appearing to be such on the surface only : superficial
surface friendships

surface

3 of 3

verb

surfaced; surfacing

transitive verb

1
: to give a surface to: such as
a
: to plane or make smooth
b
: to apply the surface layer to
surface a highway
2
: to bring to the surface
surface a sunken ship

intransitive verb

1
: to work on or at the surface
2
: to come to the surface
3
: to come into public view : show up
letters that have recently surfaced
surfacer noun
Phrases
on the surface
: to all outward appearances

Examples of surface in a Sentence

Noun The painting's surface is covered with fine cracks. The bowl has a shiny surface. The surface of wood was rough. Be careful of icy surfaces on the roads. Adjective Despite the surface differences between the two candidates, they are very similar in most ways. a surface stain on the wood that can easily be removed with a mild detergent Verb The whale surfaced and then dove back down. The information surfaced many years later. After several years, the actress surfaced in a comedy. The road needs to be surfaced again.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The state does now have standards for PFAS in drinking water and surface waters, but the rulemaking process for the standards in groundwater has stalled, due to the high cost of addressing the issue for communities and businesses. Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 The corona, which is fainter than the surface of the sun, is easier to see during an eclipse, allowing scientists to study it in greater detail. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 The planet’s surface is a churn of deposition and erosion, uplift and subsidence, which tend to erase from sight evidence of even the most consequential events. Zach St. George, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 On the surface, the 3-3-2-2 proposal sounds bad and looks worse for the Big 12 and ACC, codifying them as lesser than their peers in the most public of fashions. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Rake through the soil on the surface to expose some roots. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 While these preliminary findings are exciting, a lot more work needs to be done before this melting probe makes its debut on the surface of any faraway icy moon. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2024 The exhibit, curated by Fred Apodaca Ortiz, features wonderful paintings of pachucos and pool halls, but the bowl of menudo on a wooden surface is different. Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 The lobster industry in the state has been in flux for a decade as lobster populations move north toward Canada and away from the United States in search of cooler waters—the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world's ocean surface, according to the University of New England. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The battery life alone (23 minutes and 30 seconds) makes this one of the best cordless vacuums, but there are some additional unique features that helped this Eureka multi-surface model stand out to us. Alida Nugent, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2023 In it were tablets containing concentrated hand soap as well as multi-surface, glass and bathroom cleaners — and four empty containers. Susan Shain, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023 The sub was fitted with six 533-millimeter torpedo tubes and carried a mix of both anti-surface and anti-submarine weapons. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 23 Dec. 2022 The multi-surface cleaner works with Dyson's signature de-tangling Motorbar cleaner head, a brush bar that safely captures hair and moves it along with no clogged mess. Lauren Fischer, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2022 Clorox’s multi-surface mist does it all. Jodhaira Rodriguez, Good Housekeeping, 16 Aug. 2022 Plus, its dual multi-surface rubber brushes flex to adjust to different floor types and avoid getting tangled with pet hair. Stephanie Mlot, PCMAG, 16 Mar. 2023 Besides the citrusy aroma, there’s a lot to love about the eco-friendly subscription service, including the reusable spray bottles—and the fact that just a small spritz of multi-surface, all-purpose cleaner is enough to banish grease from your cooktop. Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 16 Feb. 2023 Pine-Sol scented multi-surface cleaners (lavender clean, sparkling wave and lemon fresh scents), CloroxPro Pine-Sol all purpose cleaners (lavender clean, sparkling wave, lemon fresh, and orange energy scents) and Clorox Professional Pine-Sol lemon fresh cleaner. Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 26 Oct. 2022
Verb
Isauro Garcia Cruz, 43, was being investigated by the Butler County Sherriff's Office after a report of a relationship between him and the teen girl surfaced, according to a news release. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 Rao would like to see new ideas for surfacing and disseminating quality papers. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Mar. 2024 The letter isn't the only piece of evidence that has surfaced. Stephanie Slifer, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024 Even in death, his sense of humor and pop-culture savvy surfaced. Nathan Hodge, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Encouraging managers to do the same with their teams not only empowers individuals but also generates ideas that might not have surfaced through a top-down approach. Marco Costa, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In the fall of 2021, reports surfaced that Clanton had lined up two successive clerkships: the first with U.S. District Court Judge Corey Maze, of the Northern District of Alabama, and the second with Judge Pryor, of the Eleventh Circuit. Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, 29 Feb. 2024 Indeed, Louis has structured Change to surface these connections at the expense of other possible tales that might be teased from his recollections. Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 His chemistry with power forward Dario Saric in the pick-and-pop particularly surfaced. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surface.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Middle French, from sur- + face face, from Old French — more at face

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1778, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surface was circa 1600

Dictionary Entries Near surface

Cite this Entry

“Surface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surface. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

surface

1 of 2 noun
sur·​face ˈsər-fəs How to pronounce surface (audio)
1
: the outside of an object or body
on the surface of the water
the earth's surface
2
: any flat or curved two-dimensional area in space
the surface of a cube
3
: the outside appearance
on the surface the plan seems good
surface adjective

surface

2 of 2 verb
surfaced; surfacing
1
a
: to make smooth
b
: to apply the surface layer to
surface a road
2
: to bring or come to the surface
3
: to come into public view
letters that recently surfaced

Medical Definition

surface

noun
sur·​face ˈsər-fəs How to pronounce surface (audio)
: the exterior or upper boundary of an object or body
the mesial and distal surfaces of a tooth

More from Merriam-Webster on surface

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