<B>surface ship,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any naval ship that is not a submarine. </DL>
<A NAME="surfacestructure">
<B>surface structure,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Linguistics.) the formal structure or phonetic expression of a sentence, as distinguished from its deep structure. <BR> <I>Ex. "John loves Mary" is the surface structure of the sentence. It constitutes the sort of "physical signal," or phonetic articulation, to which we can perfectly well apply the traditional syntax we have learned in school: noun, verb, object, and so on. But this surface structure tells us little and obviously differs for every language (George Steiner).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surfacetension">
<B>surface tension,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the tension of the surface film of a liquid that makes it contract to a minimum area. It is caused by molecular forces and measured in terms of force per unit length. </DL>
<A NAME="surfacetoair">
<B>surface-to-air, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>launched from the ground or a ship to intercept and destroy flying aircraft or missiles. <BR> <I>Ex. surface-to-air missiles.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>between the ground or a ship and an aircraft. <BR> <I>Ex. surface-to-air rescue.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surfacetosurface">
<B>surface-to-surface, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>launched from the ground or a ship at a target on the sea or on the ground. <DD><B> 2. </B>between two ships or two points on the ground. <BR> <I>Ex. surface-to-surface communication.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surfacetounderwater">
<B>surface-to-underwater, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>launched from the ground or a ship at a target beneath the surface of the sea. <DD><B> 2. </B>between a surface ship and a submarine, diver, or other object underwater. </DL>
<A NAME="surfacewater">
<B>surface water,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>water that collects on the surface of the ground. <DD><B> 2. </B>the surface layer of a body of water. </DL>
<A NAME="surfacewave">
<B>surface wave,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a wave created by an earthquake and traveling along the surface of the earth. </DL>
<A NAME="surfacing">
<B>surfacing, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the action or process of giving a smooth or even surface to something. <DD><B> 2. </B>the material with which a body is surfaced. </DL>
<A NAME="surfactant">
<B>surfactant, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a surface-active agent or solution. </DL>
<A NAME="surfbird">
<B>surf bird,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a shore bird related to the plover, that nests in Alaska and winters along the Pacific coast of North and South America. </DL>
<A NAME="surfboard">
<B>surfboard, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a long, narrow board on which to be carried on the crest of a wave as it mounts and breaks as surf on a beach. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to ride the waves on a surfboard; surf. noun <B>surfboarder.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="surfboarding">
<B>surfboarding, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of riding a surfboard. </DL>
<A NAME="surfboat">
<B>surfboat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a strong boat designed especially for use in heavy surf. </DL>
<A NAME="surfcast">
<B>surfcast, </B>intransitive verb, <B>-cast,</B> <B>-casting.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to cast a fishing line from the shore into the surf. <BR> <I>Ex. Later I tried to teach my oldest son how to surfcast with a drail, but he kept fouling his line and getting sand in the reel, and we had a quarrel (John Cheever).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surfcaster">
<B>surfcaster, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a fisherman who casts the line from the shore into the surf. <BR> <I>Ex. The holiday surfcasters found the striped bass cooperative along the Rhode Island beaches (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surfcasting">
<B>surfcasting, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of fishing by casting the line from the shore into the surf. </DL>
<A NAME="surfclam">
<B>surf clam,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large, edible clam that lives near the surf on the Atlantic coast of the United States. </DL>
<A NAME="surfduck">
<B>surf duck,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a scoter, especially the surf scoter. </DL>
<A NAME="surfeit">
<B>surfeit, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>an excessive amount of something; too much; excess. <BR> <I>Ex. A surfeit of food makes one sick. (Figurative.) A surfeit of advice annoys me.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>disgust or nausea caused by this; painful satiety. <DD><B> 3. </B>gluttonous indulgence, especially gluttonous eating or drinking. <DD><B> 4. </B>an abnormal condition caused by gluttony; derangement of the digestive system arising from gluttony or intemperance. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to feed or supply to excess; force down or on (a person) in such quantity as to cause nausea or disgust. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) He is weary and surfeited of business (Samuel Pepys).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to eat, drink, or indulge in something to excess; take one's fill and more (of); feast gluttonously (upon). <BR> <I>Ex. They are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing (Shakespeare).</I> (SYN) glut, gorge. noun <B>surfeiter.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="surfer">
<B>surfer, </B>noun. =surf rider.</DL>
<A NAME="surffish">
<B>surf fish,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a family of small to medium-sized viviparous fishes frequenting shallow water along the Pacific coast of North America; seaperch; surfperch. </DL>
<A NAME="surficial">
<B>surficial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of the surface or outside of something; surface. <BR> <I>Ex. Erosion quickly erases the surficial expression of terrestrial craters (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surfing">
<B>surfing, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of riding waves on a surfboard; surfboarding. <DD><B> 2. </B>the act or process of looking at a series of things in quick succession, especially on a computer or television screen. <BR> <I>Ex. information surfing, channel surfing.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surfman">
<B>surfman, </B>noun, pl. <B>-men.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a man skilled in handling boats in surf. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=lifeguard.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="surfmanship">
<B>surfmanship, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> skill in managing a surfboat or surfboard. </DL>
<A NAME="surfmat">
<B>surfmat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a strong mat sometimes used by surfers in place of a surfboard. </DL>
<A NAME="surfperch">
<B>surfperch, </B>noun. =surf fish.</DL>
<A NAME="surfrider">
<B>surf rider,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a person who rides the surf, especially on a surfboard. <BR> <I>Ex. A surf rider moves through the water because his board, perched on the front of a spilling wave, is perpetually sliding downhill (Scientific American).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surfscoter">
<B>surf scoter,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a North American sea duck, dark with white markings about the head. </DL>
<A NAME="surfy">
<B>surfy, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having much surf or heavy surf. <BR> <I>Ex. a surfy beach.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>forming or resembling surf. </DL>
<B>surge, </B>verb, <B>surged,</B> <B>surging,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to rise and fall, as a ship does on the waves; ride at anchor or over the waves. <BR> <I>Ex. The ship surged in the stormy seas, rolling and pitching with each wave.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to rise or swell with great force. <BR> <I>Ex. A great wave surged over us.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to sweep forward as waves do; move like waves. <BR> <I>Ex. The mob surged through the streets.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) to rise (up) violently or excitedly, as feelings or thoughts. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Physics.) to increase or oscillate suddenly or violently, as an electrical current. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Nautical.) <DD><B> a. </B>(of a rope or cable) to slip back or slacken, especially when wound around a capstan or windlass. <DD><B> b. </B>(of a ship) to sweep, pull, or jerk in a certain direction. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to cause to move in, or as if in, swelling waves or billows. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Nautical.) to cause (a rope or cable) to slip back or slacken. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a high, rolling swell of water; swelling wave; billow. <BR> <I>Ex. The sea was rolling in immense surges (Richard Henry Dana).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a sweep or rush of waves; the swelling and rolling of the sea. <BR> <I>Ex. Laced with white foam from the eternal surge (Charles Kingsley).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>something like a wave; a swelling or sweeping forward like that of waves. <BR> <I>Ex. a sudden surge of smoke, the surge of the mob through the street.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) a violent or excited rising or swelling up as of feelings or thoughts. <BR> <I>Ex. a surge of anger, a surge of public opinion. The surge of encouragement ... (Sir Winston Churchill); ... the surge and thunder of the Odyssey (Andrew Lang).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Physics.) <DD><B> a. </B>a sudden or violent rush or oscillation of electrical current in a circuit. <DD><B> b. </B>a wave of pressure in a liquid system caused by a sudden stoppage of flow. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Nautical.) <DD><B> a. </B>a slipping back or slackening of a rope or cable. <DD><B> b. </B>the tapered part of a capstan or windlass, upon which the rope surges. </DL>
<A NAME="surgechamber">
<B>surge chamber,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a chamber or tank which absorbs surges of flow in a liquid system. <BR> <I>Ex. At the outlet of the tunnel there is a surge chamber (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surgeless">
<B>surgeless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> free from surges; smooth; calm. </DL>
<A NAME="surgeon">
<B>surgeon, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a doctor who performs operations; medical practitioner whose specialty is surgery. <BR> <I>Ex. A surgeon removed the boy's tonsils.</I> <DL COMPACT><DD> (Abbr:) surg. </DL>
</DL>
<A NAME="surgeonbird">
<B>surgeon bird,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a jacana of the East Indies, having a long tail like a pheasant's, and a white head and white wings. </DL>
<A NAME="surgeoncy">
<B>surgeoncy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the position or duties of a surgeon. </DL>
<A NAME="surgeonfish">
<B>surgeonfish, </B>noun, pl. <B>-fishes</B> or (collectively) <B>-fish.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a group of fishes having long, sharp spines growing near the tail, found especially in tropical seas and near coral reefs; doctorfish; tang. </DL>
<A NAME="surgeongeneral">
<B>Surgeon General,</B> pl. <B>Surgeons General.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the chief medical officer of the United States Public Health Service. (Abbr:) Surg. Gen. </DL>
