interface meaning: definition, etymology

interface

noun

UK /ˈɪntəfeɪs/ · US /ˈɪn(t)ɚˌfeɪs/

Etymology From inter- (“between”) + face (“shape, figure, form”).

8 senses

The point of interconnection or contact between entities.

Public relations firms often serve as the interface between a company and the press.

Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics A thin layer or boundary between different substances or two phases of a single substance.

If water and oil are mixed together, they tend to separate, and at equilibrium they are in different strata with an oil-water interface in between.
The surface of a lake is a water-air interface.

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences The point of interconnection between systems or subsystems.

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences The connection between a user and a machine.

The connection between parts of software; also the public or published sections of an object or module.

Object-oriented programming

This interface is implemented by several Java classes.
Traits are somewhat between an interface and a mixin, as an interface contains only method signatures, while a trait includes also the full method definitions; on the other side mixins include method definitions, but they can also carry state through attributes, while traits usually don't.

In object-oriented programming, a piece of code defining a set of operations that other code must implement.

Object-oriented programming

In some languages, a block of code declaring the interface (point of interconnection) between a class and code that interacts with it.

Object-oriented programming

Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Natural sciences, Physical sciences The internal surface of a coiled protein (compare exoface).

Derived terms: 32 terms
10-foot user interface, basic rate interface, biointerface, character user interface, command line interface, concrete interface, fluent interface, Gillham interface, graphical user interface, haptic interface, heterointerface, homointerface, human interface device, interfaceable, interface hypothesis, interfaceless, interface segregation principle, interfacial, marker interface pattern, nanointerface, natural user interface, network interface card, network interface controller, neurointerface, noninterface, non-virtual interface, non-virtual interface pattern, primary rate interface, pseudointerface, subinterface, superinterface, tagging interface
Hyponyms: command-line interface, user interface, abstract interface, application programming interface, generic interface, marker interface, network interface, programming interface

verb

Etymology From inter- (“between”) + face (“shape, figure, form”).

To construct an interface for.

Ambitransitive To connect through an interface.

To serve as an interface.

Business To meet for discussion.