face
Meanings
- The front part of the head of a human or other animal, featuring the eyes, nose, and mouth, and the surrounding area.
- One's facial expression.
- A distorted facial expression; an expression of displeasure, insult, etc.
- The amount expressed on a bill, note, bond, etc., without any interest or discount; face value.
- The mouth.
- Makeup; one's complete facial cosmetic application.
- Public image; outward appearance.
- Good reputation; standing, in the eyes of others; dignity; prestige.
- Shameless confidence; boldness; effrontery.
- An aspect of the character or nature of someone or something.
- Presence; sight; front.
- A person; the self; (reflexively) oneself.
- To position oneself or itself so as to have one's face closest to (something).
- To have its front closest to, or in the direction of (something else).
- To cause (something) to turn or present a face or front, as in a particular direction.
- To improve the display of stock by ensuring items aren't upside down or back to front and are pulled forwards.
- To be presented or confronted with; to have in prospect.
- To deal with (a difficult situation or person); to accept (facts, reality, etc.) even when undesirable.
- To have the front in a certain direction.
- To have as an opponent.
- To be the batsman on strike.
- To confront impudently; to bully.
- To cover in front, for ornament, protection, etc.; to put a facing upon.
- To line near the edge, especially with a different material.
- Intensely.
- A mnemonic phrase to help remember the order of the four spaces of a musical treble clef in order from the bottom to the top.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁kyéti Proto-Italic *θakjō Proto-Italic *fakjō Late Latin faciō Proto-Italic *-jēs Late Latin -iēs Late Latin faciēs Late Latin facia Old French facebor. Middle English face English face From Middle English face, from Old French face, from Late Latin facia, from Latin faciēs (“form, appearance”). Doublet of facies. Displaced native onlete (“face, countenance, appearance”), anleth (“face”), from Old English anwlite, andwlita, compare German Antlitz; Old English ansīen (“face”), Middle English neb (“face, nose”) (from Old English nebb), Middle English ler, leor, leer (“face, cheek, countenance”) (from Old English hlēor), and non-native Middle English vis (“face, appearance, look”) (from Old French vis) and Middle English chere (“face”) from Old French chere. In the sense of face as in reputation, influenced by Chinese 面子 (miànzi) or 臉／脸 (liǎn), both of which mean literally the front of the head and metaphorically one's public image. See lose face.