n.
Pronunciation: ' s ə r-f ə s
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Middle French, from sur- + face face, from Old French ― more at FACE
Date: circa 1600
1 : the exterior or upper boundary of an object or body <on the surface of the water> <the earth's surface >
2 : a plane or curved two-dimensional locus of points (as the boundary of a three-dimensional region) <plane surface > < surface of a sphere>
3 a : the external or superficial aspect of something <trouble lurks below the surface > b : an external part or layer <sanded the rough surface s >
– on the surface : to all outward appearances