From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsurfacesur‧face1 /ˈsɜːfɪs $ ˈsɜːr-/ ●●● S3 W1 noun [countable] 1 water/landSURFACE the top layer of an area of water or landsurface of Dead leaves floated on the surface of the water. Nearly 10% of the Earth’s surface is covered by ice. Gas bubbles in any liquid tend to rise to the surface.beneath/under/below the surface The tunnel was some 300 feet below the surface.2 outside/top layer the outside or top layer of somethingsurface of the surface of the vase The road surfaces tend to be worse in the towns than in the country. a frying pan with a non-stick surfaceon something’s surface mold growing on the cheese’s surface3 → the surface4 for working onSURFACE a flat area on the top of a cupboard, table, desk etc, that you use for cooking or working onwork/kitchen surface Keep kitchen surfaces clean and tidy. Work on a clean, flat surface.5 side of an objectSURFACE one of the sides of an object How many surfaces does a cube have? → scratch the surface at scratch1(8)COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the outside or top layer of somethingadjectivesthe upper/top surfaceThe upper surface of the leaf is dull green.the outer/inner surfaceThe outer surface of the shell is ridged.smoothMarble provides a cool smooth surface.roughI reached out and touched the rough surface of the stone wall.textured (=not smooth, because of its design)Many floor tiles have textured surfaces to make them less slippery underfoot.hardThe path has a hard surface suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.shinyThis type of cloth has a shiny surface on one side.polishedI didn't want to spill anything on the polished surface of the table.slipperyThe sign read: ‘Beware: slippery surface.’flatPut the compass on a flat surface.
Examples from the Corpus
surface• When using glue, make sure both surfaces are completely clean.• Fitted carefully, they make a very nice and durable surface.• Half-empty glasses covered every flat surface in the room.• the moon's surface• The moon's surface is covered with rocks and dust.• A cube has six surfaces.• Benches with reversible tops give the option of either a smooth surface or recessed gravel trays for summer and are particularly useful.• The clay is about a metre below the surface of the soil.• Exfoliators remove dead cells from the surface of your skin.• Microwaves create very short, high energy radio-waves which agitate and heat water molecules on or near the surface of foods.• Since different molecules absorb different colours, this microscope can be used to make a microscopic chemical analysis of the surface.• Leaves floated on the surface of the pool.• The first astronomer to study the surface of Mars was Galileo Galilei, who noted the phases of the planet in 1610.• She watched as the bubbles rose to the surface and popped.• But afraid of the stinging jellyfish that shimmered, ghostlike, underneath the surface, I never even tried.• The look can be quaint or dated, but most people who buy an old house long to update the surfaces.• The plant has light green leaves with silver marks on their upper surfaces.• In a kitchen all work surfaces should be kept spotlessly clean.• Pour out the flour on a clean work surface.beneath/under/below the surface• But beneath the surface, reformist sentiments are bubbling ever more vigorously.• These shrimp live 3,600 meters below the surface, far beyond the reach of sunlight.• The mud beneath the surface dragged at his boots, which seemed to be weighted with lead.• Whitewater, which for a season has dropped out of the headlines, continues to percolate beneath the surface.• It was shimmering under the surface as it had been all afternoon.• He fought sleep but still dozed off, waking with a sputter when he slipped under the surface.• They swim beneath the surface with sharp black fins, waiting to attack.work/kitchen surface• To make phyllo triangles, place one phyllo sheet on a dry work surface vertically.• Again, facilities for rapid cooking will probably be important, plus easy-to-clean floors, work surfaces and cupboards.• Noury lightly flours her work surface and rolling pin.• Fitted with a matching range of timber trimmed wall and base units with laminated work surfaces over.• He ate it standing up by the sink, and deliberately left the little pot on the marble work surface.• But her room offered neither work surface nor adequate light.• Place poussin halves on work surface, bone side down.• Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin.surfacesurface2 verb 1 HIDE/NOT SHOW#[intransitive] if information, feelings, or problems surface, they become known about or easy to noticesurface in Rumors about the killings have begun to surface in the press. the jealousy that had surfaced in her2 WAKE UP/GET UP[intransitive] if someone or something surfaces, they suddenly appear somewhere, especially after being gone or hidden for a long time SYN pop up Last year Toole surfaced again in Cuba.3 APPEAR[intransitive] to rise to the surface of water divers surfacing near the boat4 [intransitive] British English informal to get out of bed, especially late Joe never surfaces before midday on Sunday.5 [transitive]TBCTTR to put a surface on a road→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
surface• More problems surfaced after the king fell ill.• In fact many of them were pre-1917 private traders who surfaced again after 1921.• He surfaced from his thoughts and turned back to the room.• When Greene surfaced from the war in the mid-1940s the literary friendship resumed.• But to its surprise, the task force surfaced growing complaints.• Rumors about the killings have begun to surface in the press.• The other 30 pictures surfaced just last month.• Suddenly one whale surfaced right beside our boat.• Now it was Alain's face that surfaced when she let down her guard.• "Have you seen Cathy?'' "No, she hasn't surfaced yet.''surfacesurface3 adjective [only before noun] 1 relating to the part of the army, navy etc that travels by land or on the sea, rather than by air or under the sea the Navy’s surface forces2 SEEMappearing to be true or real, but not representing what someone really feels or what something is really like SYN superficial Beneath the surface calm, she felt very insecure.Examples from the Corpus
surface• Beneath the surface calm, she felt insecure like everyone else.• the U.S. Navy Reserve Surface Fleet• a surface resemblancesurface forces• The difference in surface forces makes the water run uphill.• Small animals are dominated by surface forces other than gravity in ways unknown and unknowable to us.Origin surface1 (1600-1700) French sur- ( → SURCHARGE) + face “face” 