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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

. (Aeronautics) The weight supported per square unit of surface; the quotient obtained by dividing the gross weight, in pounds, of a fully loaded flying machine, by the total area, in square feet, of its supporting surface. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A form of machine for dressing the surface of wood, metal, stone, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Physics) That property, due to molecular forces, which exists in the surface film of all liquids and tends to bring the contained volume into a form having the least superficial area. The thickness of this film, amounting to less than a thousandth of a millimeter, is considered to equal the radius of the sphere of molecular action, that is, the greatest distance at which there is cohesion between two particles. Particles lying below this film, being equally acted on from all sides, are in equilibrium as to forces of cohesion, but those in the film are on the whole attracted inward, and tension results. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]