A shape of the edges of liquids on the top area in a tube or other glass container: In chemistry class when Sally looked at the upper surface of any fluid from the side of a glass tube, she could see a slight curve up and down or a crescent shape around the top edge of the liquid, which she learned to be a meniscus or surface meniscus.

The surface menisci of fluids indicate curved upper surfaces around the edges of liquids that are contained in tubes and which are curved because of surface tensions.

In metal work, surface meniscus applies to a solder joint that has a minimum angle at which the solder tapers from the joint to the flat surface.