surface

The outside or top layer of an object or material.

• The surface feels smooth.
• She wiped the kitchen surfaces with a cloth.
• Small bubbles appeared on the surface of the water.

How to use it: the surface of something (The surface of the table feels rough.); on the surface (Leaves floated on the surface of the water.)

Similar words: exterior, outside

Opposites: interior

Common phrases: surface of something, smooth surface, on the surface

The top side of something flat, or the top of a liquid.

• Put the bowl on a flat surface.
• She wiped the surface of the desk.
• Light reflected off the water’s surface.

Similar words: top

Common phrases: flat surface, table surface, surface of something

The top of a liquid, where it meets the air.

• Leaves floated on the surface.
• Bubbles rose to the surface of the pool.
• The wind disturbed the lake’s surface.

How to use it: surface of something (Oil covered the surface of the water.)

Common phrases: water surface, surface of something, below the surface

A set of points in a space, described by an equation and forming a two-dimensional shape.

• The equation defines a curved surface.
• These points lie on the same surface.
• We plotted the surface in three dimensions.

Common phrases: curved surface, algebraic surface, surface equation

If facts become known, or someone brings them to people’s attention, they appear after being hidden.

• New evidence has surfaced.
• Several problems surfaced during the meeting.
• The review surfaced details that nobody had noticed.

Similar words: emerge, reveal

Common phrases: surface during something, surface new information, surface in something

To come up to the top of water, or bring something there.

• The whale surfaced beside us.
• The divers surfaced after twenty minutes.
• The captain surfaced the submarine before dawn.

Similar words: come up, bring up

Opposites: submerge

Common phrases: surface for air, surface near something, surface a submarine, surface beside something

To put a new layer of material on a road or another object.

• They surfaced the road yesterday.
• The path will be surfaced with gravel.
• We need to surface the tennis courts.

How to use it: surface something with something (They surfaced the driveway with concrete.)

Similar words: cover, pave

Common phrases: surface a road, surface with something, surface a path