the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface"
surface
How to use surface in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for surface.
Editorial note
The problem I'd gotten chewed out for trying to surface but been told "won't fix" all the way up and down the chain of command.
Quick take
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of surface gathered in one view.
the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object; "they skimmed over the surface of the water"; "a brush small enough to clean every dental surface"; "the sun has no distinct surface"
the outermost level of the land or sea; "earthquakes originate far below the surface"; "three quarters of the Earth's surface is covered by water"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for surface.
noun
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface"
noun
the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object; "they skimmed over the surface of the water"; "a brush small enough to clean every dental surface"; "the sun has no distinct surface"
noun
the outermost level of the land or sea; "earthquakes originate far below the surface"; "three quarters of the Earth's surface is covered by water"
noun
a superficial aspect as opposed to the real nature of something; "it was not what it appeared to be on the surface"
noun
information that has become public; "all the reports were out in the open"; "the facts had been brought to the surface"
See also: open
noun
a device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight
verb
come to the surface
See also: rise
verb
put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface; "coat the cake with chocolate"
See also: coat
verb
appear or become visible; make a showing; "She turned up at the funeral"; "I hope the list key is going to surface again"
adjective
on the surface; "surface materials of the moon"
Example sentences
The problem I'd gotten chewed out for trying to surface but been told "won't fix" all the way up and down the chain of command.
It was a submarine rigged for silent running, deep and quiet, that's never bothered to surface for air.
But there was no higher-order conceptual thinking beneath the surface-- no "there" there.
I for one am more scared, appaled by what has been bubbling to the surface every week, almost every day since Snowden.
If someone can't get more than one level below the surface and understand the details that form the whole, theyre also often wrong much of the time.
Its not like typing on a completely flat surface: each key is raised slightly, so while there isnt any mechanical feedback, it does feel a bit like a keyboard.
On the surface it sometimes looks theocratic, but in reality it's more of a dictatorship of gentrification.
Probably the best point made in this article is that universities aim for "surface" diversity: they take the easy route of pretending that picking enough students of enough different racial backgrounds is actually making their school diverse.
If you aren't familiar with this activity, it has some pretty outrageous elements--300 wpm speed-reading, often surface-level analysis, and preference for gamesmanship over quality of argumentation.
In related news: scientists have discovered that an uncontrolled nuclear reaction over one hundred trillion times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb is releasing radiation of all known varieties, including lethal gamma radiation, and will result in the inevitable exposure of all of the earth's surface within the next twenty-four hours.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use surface in a sentence?
The problem I'd gotten chewed out for trying to surface but been told "won't fix" all the way up and down the chain of command.
What does surface mean?
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary; "there is a special cleaner for these surfaces"; "the cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface"
What part of speech is surface?
surface is commonly used as noun, verb, adjective.