surface

surface
    adj 1: on the surface; "surface materials of the moon" [ant:
           {overhead}, {subsurface}]
    n 1: 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"
    2: 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"
    3: 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" [syn: {surface},
       {Earth's surface}]
    4: a superficial aspect as opposed to the real nature of
       something; "it was not what it appeared to be on the surface"
    5: information that has become public; "all the reports were out
       in the open"; "the facts had been brought to the surface"
       [syn: {open}, {surface}]
    6: a device that provides reactive force when in motion relative
       to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight
       [syn: {airfoil}, {aerofoil}, {control surface}, {surface}]
    v 1: come to the surface [syn: {surface}, {come up}, {rise up},
         {rise}]
    2: put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface;
       "coat the cake with chocolate" [syn: {coat}, {surface}]
    3: appear or become visible; make a showing; "She turned up at
       the funeral"; "I hope the list key is going to surface again"
       [syn: {come on}, {come out}, {turn up}, {surface}, {show up}]
    

Surface \Sur"face`\, n. [F. See {Sur-}, and {Face}, and cf.
   {Superficial}.]
   1. The exterior part of anything that has length and breadth;
      one of the limits that bound a solid, esp. the upper face;
      superficies; the outside; as, the surface of the earth;
      the surface of a diamond; the surface of the body.
      [1913 Webster]

            The bright surface of this ethereous mold. --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Hence, outward or external appearance.
      [1913 Webster]

            Vain and weak understandings, which penetrate no
            deeper than the surface.              --V. Knox.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Geom.) A magnitude that has length and breadth without
      thickness; superficies; as, a plane surface; a spherical
      surface.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Fort.) That part of the side which is terminated by the
      flank prolonged, and the angle of the nearest bastion.
      --Stocqueler.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Caustic surface}, {Heating surface}, etc. See under
      {Caustic}, {Heating}, etc.

   {Surface condensation}, {Surface condenser}. See under
      {Condensation}, and {Condenser}.

   {Surface gauge} (Mach.), an instrument consisting of a
      standard having a flat base and carrying an adjustable
      pointer, for gauging the evenness of a surface or its
      height, or for marking a line parallel with a surface.

   {Surface grub} (Zool.), the larva of the great yellow
      underwing moth ({Triphoena pronuba}). It is often
      destructive to the roots of grasses and other plants.

   {Surface plate} (Mach.), a plate having an accurately dressed
      flat surface, used as a standard of flatness by which to
      test other surfaces.

   {Surface printing}, printing from a surface in relief, as
      from type, in distinction from plate printing, in which
      the ink is contained in engraved lines.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Surface \Sur"face\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Surfaced}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Surfacing}.]
   1. To give a surface to; especially, to cause to have a
      smooth or plain surface; to make smooth or plain.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To work over the surface or soil of, as ground, in hunting
      for gold.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Surface \Sur"face\, v. i.
   1. To rise from the depths of a liquid to the surface; as,
      the submarine surfaced to recharge its batteries.
      [PJC]

   2. To become known or public; -- said of information.
      [PJC]

   3. To show up, as a person who was in hiding; as, he
      absconded with the payroll and surfaced in Argentina.
      [PJC]
    

231 Moby Thesaurus words for "surface":
      3-D, acreage, ankle-deep, apparent, appear, appearing, area, arise,
      bail out, bob up, border, boundary, breadth, break cover,
      break forth, break water, burst forth, circumference, clerestory,
      come, come forth, come out, come up, concrete, continuum,
      conventionalized, cortex, cortical, cover, covering, crop up,
      crust, cubic, cursoriness, cursory, debouch, depthless, dimension,
      dimensional, disembogue, dive, effuse, emanate, emerge, emptiness,
      empty space, envelope, epidermal, epidermic, epidermis, erupt,
      exomorphic, expanse, expansion, extension, extent, exterior,
      exteriority, external, extrinsic, extrinsically, extrude, facade,
      face, facet, feel, field, finish, flat, float up, flood negative,
      flood the tanks, fly up, formal, formalist, formalistic, formulary,
      fountain, fourth-dimensional, fringe, front, galactic space, gloss,
      go below, grain, granular texture, gush, impersonal, indentation,
      infinite space, integument, interface, interstellar space, issue,
      issue forth, jejune, jet, jump out, jump up, knee-deep, knub,
      leap up, legalistic, light, lineaments, materialize, measure,
      mere scratch, nap, no depth, no water, nominal, not deep,
      nothingness, nub, on the surface, open, ostensible, ostensibly,
      out, outer, outer face, outer layer, outer side, outer skin,
      outer space, outermost, outline, outlying, outmost, outside,
      outstanding, outward, outward-facing, outwardly, pave, pedantic,
      peripheral, periphery, pile, pinprick, pit, plane, pock, pop up,
      proportion, proportional, protrude, protuberance, public,
      ridgepole, rig for diving, rind, rise, rocket, roof, roofpole,
      rooftop, roundabout, sally, sally forth, scratch, seeming, shag,
      shallow, shallow-rooted, shallowness, shell, shoal, shoaliness,
      shoot up, show up, side, skin, skin-deep, skyrocket, slight,
      slightness, space, space-time, spatial, spatial extension,
      spatiotemporal, sphere, spherical, spread, spring up, spurt,
      start up, stereoscopic, structure, stylized, submerge, superficial,
      superficial extension, superficiality, superficially, superficies,
      superstratum, surface texture, tarmac, texture, thin,
      three-dimensional, to all appearances, top, top floor, top side,
      topside, topsides, tract, trivial, triviality, two-dimensional,
      unprofound, upleap, upper side, upshoot, upside, upspear, upspring,
      upstart, vault up, veneer, visible, void, volume, volumetric, wale,
      weave, woof