noun
surface
SUR-fihs
noun
1
The outer or top layer of something.
"Dust had settled on the surface of the table."
"The surface of the lake was completely still."
2
How something appears from the outside, as opposed to what is really going on underneath.
"On the surface, the deal looked like a good one."
verb
1
To rise up to the top, or to come to light after being hidden.
"The submarine surfaced a mile from the coast."
"New evidence surfaced years after the trial ended."
How to Use Surface
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe outside layer of a thing, or figuratively, what shows on the outside versus what's really true.
Common mistake
"Scratch the surface" means to only partly explore or explain something — it doesn't mean to damage it.
Common pairings
scratch the surface
on the surface
surface tension
surface area
Word Forms
surfaced past tense, surfaces plural, Surfaces plural, surfaces singular
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Dust had settled on the _____ of the table.
Etymology
Borrowed from French surface, itself built from sur- ("over") + face ("face") — literally the "over-face" of something.