surface water
Americannoun
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water that accumulates on the surface of the ground, such as during flooding or when the ground becomes saturated.
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the water of lakes, rivers, streams, etc., as opposed to groundwater.
Other Word Forms
- surface-water adjective
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The surface water temperature on Wednesday was 68.5 degrees — 7.7 degrees above average for the date.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
As the atmosphere thinned, the planet cooled and much of its surface water disappeared.
From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026
This challenges earlier assumptions that surface water on Mars would only be possible during extended warm periods.
From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2026
The local authority said it would monitor river levels with Sepa, while surface water flooding could also become an issue.
From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025
In the middle of the hamlet I came upon a well whose surface water lay thick with clotted scum.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
