surface

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The outer or the topmost boundary of an object.
2. n. A material layer constituting such a boundary.
3. n. Mathematics The boundary of a three-dimensional figure.
4. n. Mathematics The two-dimensional locus of points located in three-dimensional space.
5. n. Mathematics A portion of space having length and breadth but no thickness.
6. n. The superficial or external aspect: "a flamboyant, powerful confidence man who lives entirely on the surface of experience” ( Frank Conroy).
7. n. An airfoil.
8. adj. Relating to, on, or at a surface: surface algae in the water.
9. adj. Relating to or occurring on or near the surface of the earth.
10. adj. Superficial.
11. adj. Apparent as opposed to real.
12. v. To provide with a surface or apply a surface to: surface a table with walnut; surface a road with asphalt.
13. v. To rise to the surface.
14. v. To emerge after concealment.
15. v. To work or dig a mine at or near the surface of the ground.
16. idiom. on the surface To all intents and purposes; to all outward appearances: a soldier who, on the surface, appeared brave and patriotic.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The bounding or limiting parts of a body; the parts of a body which are immediately adjacent to another body or to empty space (or the air); superficies; outside: distinguished as a physical surface.
2. n. The boundary between two solid spaces not adjacent to a third: distinguished as a mathematical surface. A surface is a geometrical locus defined by a single general and continuous condition. This condition reduces the points of the surface to a two-dimensional continuum, its enveloping planes to a two-dimensional continuum, and its enveloping straight lines to a three-dimensional continuum. A ruled surface appears to be enveloped by a one-dimensional series of lines; but when imaginary points are considered, this is seen not to be so. A true one-dimensional continuum of lines requires for its determination a threefold condition, and can contain but a finite number (or discrete infinity) of points and of planes. The number of points or planes of a surface which satisfy a twofold additional condition, as that the points shall lie upon a given line, or that the planes shall contain a given line, and the number of lines of the surface which satisfy a threefold additional condition, as that they shall belong to a given plane pencil, are either finite or only discrete infinity. In the former case the surface is said to be algebraical, in the latter transcendental. If the imaginary elements are taken into account, the numbers are constant whatever the special lines or pencils to which they refer may be. The number of points of an algebraical surface which lie upon a given straight line is called the order of the surface; the number of tangent planes which contain a given line is called the class of the surface; and the number of tangent lines which belong to a given plane pencil is called the rank of the surface.
3. n. Outward or external appearance: what appears on a slight view or without examination.
4. n. In fortification, that part of the side which is terminated by the flank prolonged and the angle of the nearest bastion.
5. n. A centrosurface.
6. n. A special case of the above, with four conical points. Generally distinguished as Dupin's cyclide.
7. n. where ϕ = 0 is a primitive surface.
8. n. An elassoidal surface (which see, above): an ordinary use, but not quite accurate.
9. n. A surface generated by the helicoidal motion of a right line.
10. n. The surface often originally, and better, called the Roman surface [discovered by Jacob Steiner (1796-1863), undoubtedly the greatest of all geometricians], being a quartic surface of the third class, having three double lines. In its symmetrical form its appearance is thus described: Take a tetrahedron, and inscribe in each face a circle. There will be, of course, two circles touching at the mid-point of each edge of the tetrahedron; each circle will contain, on its circumference, at angular distances of 120°, three mid-points; and the lines joining these with the center of the tetrahedron, produced beyond the center, meet the opposite edges … joining the mid-points. … Now truncate the tetrahedron by planes parallel to the faces, so as to reduce the altitudes, each to three fourths of the original value; and from the center of each new face round off symmetrically up to the adjacent three circles; and within each circle scoop down to the center of the tetrahedron, the bounding surface of the excavation passing through [that is, containing] the three right lines, and the sections by planes parallel to the face being in the neighborhood of the face nearly circular, but, as they approach the center, assuming a trigoidal form, and being close to the center an indefinitely small equilateral triangle. We have thus the surface, consisting of four lobes united only by the lines through the mid-points of opposite edges—these lines being consequently nodal lines, the mid-points being pinch-points of the surface, and the faces singular planes, each touching the surface along the inscribed circle. (Cayley, Proceedings London Math. Soc., V. 14.)
11. n. More generally, a surface generated by a curve the plane of which moves in any way so that every line in it remains parallel to itself.
12. n. Synonyms Superficies, Exterior, etc. See outside.
13. Of or pertaining to the surface; external; hence, superficial; specious; insincere: as, mere surface politeness or loyalty.
14. To put a surface (of a particular kind) on, or give a (certain) surface to; specifically, to give a fine or even surface to; make plain or smooth.

Wiktionary

1. n. The up-side of a flat object such as a table, or of a liquid.
2. n. The outside hull of a tangible object.
3. n. mathematics (geometry) The locus of an equation (especially one with exactly two degrees of freedom) in a more-than-two-dimensional space.
4. v. transitive To provide something with a surface.
5. v. transitive To apply a surface to something.
6. v. intransitive To rise to the surface.
7. v. intransitive To come out of hiding.
8. v. intransitive For information or facts to become known.
9. v. intransitive To work a mine near the surface.
10. v. intransitive To appear or be found.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. 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.
2. n. Hence, outward or external appearance.
3. n. (Geom.) A magnitude that has length and breadth without thickness; superficies.
4. n. (Fort.) That part of the side which is terminated by the flank prolonged, and the angle of the nearest bastion.
5. v. To give a surface to; especially, to cause to have a smooth or plain surface; to make smooth or plain.
6. v. To work over the surface or soil of, as ground, in hunting for gold.
7. v. To rise from the depths of a liquid to the surface.
8. v. To become known or public; -- said of information.
9. v. To show up, as a person who was in hiding.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object
2. n. a superficial aspect as opposed to the real nature of something
3. n. information that has become public
4. n. the outermost level of the land or sea
5. v. put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface
6. v. come to the surface
7. n. a device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight
8. adj. on the surface
9. v. appear or become visible; make a showing
10. n. the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary