Surface vs. Plain — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Surface and Plain
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Definitions
Surface
A surface, as the term is most generally used, is the outermost or uppermost layer of a physical object or space. It is the portion or region of the object that can first be perceived by an observer using the senses of sight and touch, and is the portion with which other materials first interact.
Plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and are primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands.In a valley, a plain is enclosed on two sides, but in other cases a plain may be delineated by a complete or partial ring of hills, by mountains, or by cliffs.
Surface
The outside part or uppermost layer of something
Poor road surfaces
The earth's surface
Plain
Not decorated or elaborate; simple or basic in character
Everyone dined at a plain wooden table
Good plain food
Surface
A continuous set of points that has length and breadth but no thickness.
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Plain
Having no pretensions; not remarkable or special
A plain, honest man with no nonsense about him
Surface
Relating to or found on the surface of something
Surface layers
Plain
Easy to perceive or understand; clear
The advantages were plain to see
It was plain that something was wrong
Surface
Rise or come up to the surface of the water or the ground
He surfaced from his dive
Plain
(of a person) not beautiful or attractive
A plain, round-faced woman
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Surface
Provide (something, especially a road) with a particular surface
A small path surfaced with terracotta tiles
Plain
Sheer; simple (used for emphasis)
The main problem is just plain exhaustion
Surface
The outer or the topmost boundary of an object.
Plain
Denoting or relating to a type of knitting stitch produced by putting the needle through the front of each stitch from left to right.
Surface
A material layer constituting such a boundary.
Plain
Used for emphasis
Perhaps the youth was just plain stupid
Surface
The boundary of a three-dimensional figure.
Plain
Clearly or unequivocally
I'm finished with you, I'll tell you plain
Surface
The two-dimensional locus of points located in three-dimensional space.
Plain
A large area of flat land with few trees
The coastal plain
Surface
A portion of space having length and breadth but no thickness.
Plain
Mourn or lament.
Surface
The superficial or external aspect
"a flamboyant, powerful confidence man who lives entirely on the surface of experience" (Frank Conroy).
Plain
Free from obstructions; open; clear
In plain view.
Surface
An airfoil.
Plain
Obvious to the perception or mind; evident
Make one's intention plain.
Surface
Relating to, on, or at a surface
Surface algae in the water.
Plain
Not elaborate or complicated; simple
Plain food.
Surface
Relating to or occurring on or near the surface of the earth.
Plain
Marked by little or no ornamentation or decoration
Plain garb.
Surface
Superficial.
Plain
Straightforward; frank or candid
Plain talk.
Surface
Apparent as opposed to real.
Plain
Not pretentious; unaffected.
Surface
To provide with a surface or apply a surface to
Surface a table with walnut.
Surface a road with asphalt.
Plain
Lacking beauty or distinction
A plain face.
Surface
To bring to the surface
Surface a submarine.
Plain
Not mixed with other substances; pure
Plain water.
Surface
To make known; expose or reveal
The first news report that surfaced the allegations.
Plain
Common in rank or station; average; ordinary
A plain man.
Surface
To rise to the surface.
Plain
Not dyed, twilled, or patterned
A plain fabric.
Surface
To emerge after concealment.
Plain
Sheer; utter; unqualified
Plain stupidity.
Surface
To work or dig a mine at or near the surface of the ground.
Plain
(Archaic) Having no visible elevation or depression; flat; level.
Surface
The overside or up-side of a flat object such as a table, or of a liquid.
Plain
Often plains An extensive, level, usually treeless area of land.
Surface
The outside hull of a tangible object.
Plain
A broad level expanse, as a part of the sea floor or a lunar mare.
Surface
(figurative) Outward or external appearance.
On the surface, the spy looked like a typical businessman.
Plain
Something free of ornamentation or extraneous matter.
Surface
The locus of an equation (especially one with exactly two degrees of freedom) in a more-than-two-dimensional space. Category:en:Surfaces
Plain
Clearly; simply
Plain stubborn.
Surface
(transitive) To provide something with a surface.
Plain
Flat, level.
Surface
(transitive) To apply a surface to something.
The crew surfaced the road with bitumen.
Plain
Simple, unaltered.
Surface
(intransitive) To rise to the surface.
There was great relief when the missing diver finally surfaced.
Plain
Ordinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished.
He was dressed simply in plain black clothes.
A plain tune
Surface
(transitive) To bring to the surface.
Plain
Of just one colour; lacking a pattern.
A plain pink polycotton skirt
Surface
To come out of hiding.
Plain
Simple in habits or qualities; unsophisticated, not exceptional, ordinary.
They're just plain people like you or me.
Surface
To become known or apparent; to appear or be found.
Plain
(of food) Having only few ingredients, or no additional ingredients or seasonings; not elaborate, without toppings or extras.
Would you like a poppy bagel or a plain bagel?
Surface
(transitive) To make (information or facts) known.
Plain
(computing) Containing no extended or nonprinting characters (especially in plain text).
Surface
(intransitive) To work a mine near the surface.
Plain
Obvious.
Surface
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.
The bright surface of this ethereous mold.
Plain
Evident to one's senses or reason; manifest, clear, unmistakable.
Surface
Hence, outward or external appearance.
Vain and weak understandings, which penetrate no deeper than the surface.
Plain
Downright; total, unmistakable (as intensifier).
His answer was just plain nonsense.
Surface
A magnitude that has length and breadth without thickness; superficies; as, a plane surface; a spherical surface.
Plain
Open.
Surface
That part of the side which is terminated by the flank prolonged, and the angle of the nearest bastion.
Plain
Honest and without deception; candid, open; blunt.
Let me be plain with you: I don't like her.
Surface
To give a surface to; especially, to cause to have a smooth or plain surface; to make smooth or plain.
Plain
Clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
Surface
To work over the surface or soil of, as ground, in hunting for gold.
Plain
Not unusually beautiful; unattractive.
Throughout high school she worried that she had a rather plain face.
Surface
To rise from the depths of a liquid to the surface; as, the submarine surfaced to recharge its batteries.
Plain
(card games) Not a trump.
Surface
To become known or public; - said of information.
Plain
(obsolete) Full, complete in number or extent.
Surface
To show up, as a person who was in hiding; as, he absconded with the payroll and surfaced in Argentina.
Plain
(colloquial) Simply.
It was just plain stupid.
I plain forgot.
Surface
The outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary;
There is a special cleaner for these surfaces
The cloth had a pattern of red dots on a white surface
Plain
(archaic) Plainly; distinctly.
Tell me plain: do you love me or no?
Surface
The extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object;
They skimmed over the surface of the water
A brush small enough to clean every dental surface
The sun has no distinct surface
Plain
A lamentation.
Surface
The outermost level of the land or sea;
Earthquakes originate far below the surface
Three quarters of the Earth's surface is covered by water
Plain
An expanse of land with relatively low relief, usually exclusive of forests, deserts, and wastelands.
Surface
A superficial aspect as opposed to the real nature of something;
It was not what it appeared to be on the surface
Plain
(archaic) field in reference to a battlefield.
Surface
Information that has become public;
All the reports were out in the open
The facts had been brought to the surface
Plain
(obsolete) plane: a flat geometric field.
Surface
A device that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding air; can lift or control a plane in flight
Plain
To complain.
Surface
Come to the surface
Plain
To lament, bewail.
To plain a loss
Surface
Put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface;
Coat the cake with chocolate
Plain
To level; to raze; to make plain or even on the surface.
Surface
Appear or become visible; make a showing;
She turned up at the funeral
I hope the list key is going to surface again
Plain
To make plain or manifest; to explain.
Surface
On the surface;
Surface materials of the moon
Subsurface materials of the moon
Plain
To lament; to bewail; to complain.
We with piteous heart unto you pleyne.
Surface
Involving a surface only;
Her beauty is only skin-deep
Superficial bruising
A surface wound
Plain
To lament; to mourn over; as, to plain a loss.
Plain
To plane or level; to make plain or even on the surface.
We would rake Europe rather, plain the East.
Plain
To make plain or manifest; to explain.
What's dumb in show, I'll plain in speech.
Plain
Without elevations or depressions; flat; level; smooth; even. See Plane.
The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.
Plain
Open; clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
Our troops beat an army in plain fight.
Plain
Not intricate or difficult; evident; manifest; obvious; clear; unmistakable.
Plain
Void of extraneous beauty or ornament; without conspicious embellishment; not rich; simple.
Plain
In a plain manner; plainly.
Plain
Level land; usually, an open field or a broad stretch of land with an even surface, or a surface little varied by inequalities; as, the plain of Jordan; the American plains, or prairies.
Descending fro the mountain into playn.
Him the AmmoniteWorshiped in Rabba and her watery plain.
Plain
A field of battle.
Lead forth my soldiers to the plain.
Plain
Extensive tract of level open land;
They emerged from the woods onto a vast open plain
He longed for the fields of his youth
Plain
A basic knitting stitch
Plain
Express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness;
My mother complains all day
She has a lot to kick about
Plain
Clearly apparent or obvious to the mind or senses;
The effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields
Evident hostility
Manifest disapproval
Patent advantages
Made his meaning plain
It is plain that he is no reactionary
In plain view
Plain
Not elaborate or elaborated; simple;
Plain food
Stuck to the plain facts
A plain blue suit
A plain rectangular brick building
Plain
Lacking patterns especially in color
Plain
Not mixed with extraneous elements;
Plain water
Sheer wine
Not an unmixed blessing
Plain
Free from any effort to soften to disguise;
The plain and unvarnished truth
The unvarnished candor of old people and children
Plain
Lacking embellishment or ornamentation;
A plain hair style
Unembellished white walls
Functional architecture featuring stark unornamented concrete
Plain
Lacking stylistic embellishment;
A literal description
Wrote good but plain prose
A plain unadorned account of the coronation
A forthright unembellished style
Plain
Comprehensible to the general public;
Written for the popular press in plain nontechnical language
Plain
Lacking in physical beauty or proportion;
A homely child
Several of the buildings were downright homely
A plain girl with a freckled face
Plain
Unmistakably (`plain' is often used informally for `plainly');
The answer is obviously wrong
She was in bed and evidently in great pain
He was manifestly too important to leave off the guest list
It is all patently nonsense
She has apparently been living here for some time
I thought he owned the property, but apparently not
You are plainly wrong
He is plain stubborn
