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pertaining to the superficies, or surface; lying on the surface; shallow; not deep; as, a superficial color; a superficial covering; superficial measure or contents; superficial tillage.

One who attends to anything superficially; a superficial or shallow person; a sciolist; a smatterer.

The quality or state of being superficial; also, that which is superficial. Sir T. Browne.

To attend to, or to treat, superficially, or in a shallow or slighting way. [R.] It is a characteristic weakness of the day to superficialize evil. E. P. Whipple.

Wearing away; superficial waste. Tyndall.

A superficial excoriation, with loss of substance under the form of small shreds. Dunglison.

A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy; as, I know the man; but have no acquaintance with him. Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man. Sir W. Jones.…

Light of heart; vivacious; sprightly; flippant; superficial. "Merry and airy." Jer. Taylor.

In the style of an amateur; superficial or defective like the work of an amateur. -- Am`a*teur"ish*ly, adv. -- Am`a*teur"ish*ness, n.

The unit of superficial measure, being a square of which each side is ten meters in length; 100 square meters, or about 119.6 square yards.

The superficial contents of any figure; the surface included within any given lines; superficial extent; as, the area of a square or a triangle.

ents or proofs. Johnson. -- Artificial classification (Science), an arrangement based on superficial characters, and not expressing the true natural relations species; as, "the artificial system" in botany, which is the same as the Linnæan system. -- Artificial horizon. See under Horizon. Artificial light, any light…

The superficial earthwork, or ballast, of a railroad.

The solid rock underlying superficial formations. Also Fig.

worn by women about the head. Cloud on a (or the) title (Law), a defect of title, usually superficial and capable of removal by release, decision in equity, or legislation. -- To be under a cloud, to be under suspicion or in disgrace; to be in disfavor. -- In the clouds, in the realm of facy and imagination; beyond r…

Area or quantity of space or matter contained within certain limits; as, solid contents; superficial contents. The geometrical content, figure, and situation of all the lands of a kingdom. Graunt. Table of contents, or Contents, a table or list of topics in a book, showing their order and the place where they may be fo…

The outer or superficial part of an organ; as, the cortex or gray exterior substance of the brain.

Belonging to, or consisting of, bark or rind; resembling bark or rind; external; outer; superficial; as, the cortical substance of the kidney.

hich miners seek to discover metallic lodes. It consist in sinking small pits through the superficial deposits to the solid rock, and then driving from one pit to another across the direction of the vein, in such manner as to cross all the veins between the two pits.

Superficial appearance; show; pretense. [Obs.] The election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat. Ascham. In countenance, in an assured condition or aspect; free from shame or dismay. "It puts the learned in countenance, and gives them a place among the fashionable part of mankind." Addison. --…