Surface

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈsɜːfɪs/

Definitions

1. The outer or topmost boundary or layer of an object or body
2. The outside part or visible face of something exposed to view or contact and the act of coming out to be seen or known
3. The outermost layer forming the external part of an item ; the aspect or face of something that is visible or exposed ; the action of emerging or becoming noticeable

Etymology: "Surface" is a loan from Middle French, where "surface" combined "sur-", meaning "over" or "upon", with "face", meaning the front or visible side of something. Its literal sense is therefore "what lies on top of" or "the face over" a thing, which is exactly the outer layer we still mean today. The word has a close relative in English that most people have never noticed. "Superficies", borrowed from Latin "superficies" (from "super", "above", and "facies", "face"), arrived with the same construction, so the two are doublets: separate borrowings of one ancient building block. "Superficies" kept a technical, slightly formal flavour, while "surface" spread into everyday speech and eventually took on figurative senses, such as a surface impression that hides a deeper reality.

Synonyms: exterior, outer layer, aspect, face, top

Antonyms: depth, interior