different between superficial vs quiddle

English

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sup??f???l/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s(j)u?p??f???l/
• Rhymes: -???l
• Hyphenation: su?per?fi?cial

Adjective

superficial (comparative more superficial, superlative most superficial)

1. Of or pertaining to the surface.
2. Being near the surface.
3. Shallow, lacking substance.
4. At face value.
5. (rare) Two-dimensional; drawn on a flat surface.

Synonyms

• (of or pertaining to the surface): surficial

Antonyms

• in-depth
• thorough
• (lacking substance): substantive

Derived terms

• superficially
• superficiality

Translations

Noun

superficial (plural superficials)

1. (chiefly in plural) A surface detail.

   He always concentrates on the superficials and fails to see the real issue.

Related terms

• superfice (archaic)

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /su.p??.fi.si?al/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /su.p?r.fi.si?al/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /su.pe?.fi.si?al/

Adjective

superficial (masculine and feminine plural superficials)

1. superficial

Derived terms

• superficialitat
• superficialment

Related terms

• superfície

Further reading

• “superficial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “superficial” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “superficial” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “superficial” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

superficial m or f (plural superficiais)

1. superficial
2. surficial; of the surface

Derived terms

• superficialidade
• superficialmente

Related terms

• superficie

Further reading

• “superficial” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

Interlingua

Adjective

superficial (not comparable)

1. superficial (pertaining to the surface)

Related terms

• superficie

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /?su.pe?.fi.si.?aw/

Adjective

superficial m or f (plural superficiais, comparable)

1. Shallow, lacking substance.

Derived terms

• superficialidade
• superficialismo
• superficialmente

Related terms

• superfície

Further reading

• “superficial” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

From French superficiel

Adjective

superficial m or n (feminine singular superficial?, masculine plural superficiali, feminine and neuter plural superficiale)

1. shallow (about people)

Declension

Related terms

• superficialitate

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /supe?fi??jal/, [su.pe?.fi??jal]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /supe?fi?sjal/, [su.pe?.fi?sjal]

Adjective

superficial (plural superficiales)

1. superficial
2. shallow, lacking substance

Derived terms

Related terms

• superficie

Further reading

• “superficial” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

From Latin quid (“what”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kw?d?l/
• Rhymes: -?d?l

Verb

quiddle (third-person singular simple present quiddles, present participle quiddling, simple past and past participle quiddled)

1. (intransitive, rare) To talk nonsense or speak vaguely, to waffle

   He couldn't stop quiddling about the weather.

2. (intransitive, rare) To spend or waste time in trifling employments, or to attend to useful subjects in a trifling superficial manner.

References

The Imperial dictionary 1883