surface

Everyday

1. The surface is the outside or top layer of something: the surface of a table, the Earth's surface. tree →
2. The surface of water is its top, where it meets the air. tree →
3. To surface is to come up to the top of water. tree →
4. To surface can mean to appear or become known. tree →

In the lessons

In science, the Earth's surface is land and water; most of it (about 71%) is covered by water. In maths, a surface is a face of a solid shape; «surface area» is the total area of all the faces, measured in square units. In hygiene, wipe kitchen surfaces to remove germs. Phrases: «on the surface» (at first sight), «scratch the surface» (only deal with a small part).

Examples

• The surface of the lake was smooth like glass. tree →
• A whale surfaced to breathe. tree →
• Wipe the kitchen surfaces after cooking. tree →
• Most of the Earth's surface is water. tree →
• Find the surface area of the cube. tree →
• Leaves floated on the surface of the pond. tree →
• On the surface he looked calm, but he was nervous. tree →
• The diver swam back to the surface. tree →
• She stooped down to drink, when a horrible head bobbed up on the surface. tree →

Note

Pronounced «SUR-fis». Countable. In maths problems, surface area of a cube = 6 × side × side; it is in square units (cm²), not cm. «Surface» (the outside) differs from «volume» (the space inside).

In Jewish tradition

In science, the Earth's surface is land and water; most of it (about 71%) is covered by water. In maths, a surface is a face of a solid shape; «surface area» is the total area of all the faces, measured in square units. In hygiene, wipe kitchen surfaces to remove germs. Phrases: «on the surface» (at first sight), «scratch the surface» (only deal with a small part).

Examples

• He also formed and designed from his Spirit, and from the void and formless made earth, even as a rampart, or standing wall, and varied its surface even as the crossing of beams. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887) tree →

Note

Pronounced «SUR-fis». Countable. In maths problems, surface area of a cube = 6 × side × side; it is in square units (cm²), not cm. «Surface» (the outside) differs from «volume» (the space inside).