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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";
   - 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
   "the facts had been brought to the surface";
   - open
    
6. A device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight
   - airfoil [N. Amer], aerofoil [Brit], control surface

1. On the surface
   "surface materials of the moon"

1. Come to the surface
   - come up, rise up, rise
    
2. Put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface
   - coat
    
3. Appear or become visible; make a showing
   "I hope the list key is going to surface again";
   - come on, come out, turn up, show up

Derived forms: surfacing, surfaces, surfaced

See also: aboveground, come up, grade-constructed [N. Amer], opencast [Brit], opencut

Type of: appear, artefact [Brit], artifact [N. Amer], ascend, aspect, bound, boundary, bounds, cover, device, facet, general knowledge, go up, layer, public knowledge

Antonym: overhead, subsurface

Part of: geosphere, lithosphere

Encyclopedia: Surface