a. (sb.) Obs. [ad. late L. superficiārius (of buildings) situated on another man’s land, in mod.L. superficial: see SUPERFICIES and -ARY1. Cf. F. superficiaire, etc.] A. adj.
1. = SUPERFICIAL a. 1, 4.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 957. At the sides of the processes it hath superficiary or shallowe bosomes.
1638. A. Read, Chirurg., xxviii. 205. Wounds of the lungs … are either superficiary and small, or deepe.
1696. Whiston, Th. Earth, III. (1722), 231. There is a constant and vigorous heat diffused from the Central towards the Superficiary parts.
2. = SUPERFICIAL a. 2.
a. 1680. Glanvill, Sadducismus (1681), 156. A Trinal Distance or solid Amplitude, that is to say, not linear onely and superficiary.
3. = SUPERFICIAL a. 5.
1605. Timme, Quersit., II. vii. 140. If they be more inwardly and exactly examined than by that superficiary and slight maner of tasting and experimenting.
1642. H. More, Song of Soul, To Rdr. The superficiary knowledge of tongues.
1693. Phil. Trans., XVII. 618. The Superficiary Proficients would for ever be deterr’d from attempting to grasp at such an Immensity.
1702. C. Mather, Magh. Chr., IV. iv. (1852), 74. They used a ‘diligent exploration’ concerning the faith and repentance of their communicants, lest haply it should be only superficiary.
B. sb. (See quot. and SUPERFICIAL a. 1 e.) rare–0.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Superficiary, he that hath built an house upon another mans ground, and therefore pays Quit-rent.
Hence † Superficiarily adv., superficially.
1634. T. Johnson, Parey’s Chirurg., XXI. xxxi. (1678), 481. I divided the skin … with much scarification but only superficiarily.
