Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Face
Face
(fās)
, Noun.
1.
The exterior form or appearance of anything; that part which presents itself to the view; especially, the front or upper part or surface; that which particularly offers itself to the view of a spectator.
A mist . . . watered the whole
face
of the ground. Gen. ii. 6.
Lake Leman wooes me with its crystal
face
. Byron.
2.
That part of a body, having several sides, which may be seen from one point, or which is presented toward a certain direction; one of the bounding planes of a solid;
as, a cube has six
. faces
3.
(Mach.)
(a)
The principal dressed surface of a plate, disk, or pulley; the principal flat surface of a part or object.
(b)
That part of the acting surface of a cog in a cog wheel, which projects beyond the pitch line.
(c)
The width of a pulley, or the length of a cog from end to end;
as, a pulley or cog wheel of ten inches
. face
4.
(Print.)
(a)
The upper surface, or the character upon the surface, of a type, plate, etc.
(b)
The style or cut of a type or font of type.
5.
Outside appearance; surface show; look; external aspect, whether natural, assumed, or acquired.
To set a
face
upon their own malignant design. Milton.
This would produce a new
face
of things in Europe. Addison.
We wear a
We have been glad of yore.
face
of joy, becauseWe have been glad of yore.
Wordsworth.
6.
That part of the head, esp. of man, in which the eyes, cheeks, nose, and mouth are situated; visage; countenance.
In the sweat of thy
face
shalt thou eat bread. Gen. iii. 19.
7.
Cast of features; expression of countenance; look; air; appearance.
We set the best
face
on it we could. Dryden.
8.
(Astrol.)
Ten degrees in extent of a sign of the zodiac.
Chaucer.
9.
Maintenance of the countenance free from abashment or confusion; confidence; boldness; shamelessness; effrontery.
This is the man that has the
face
to charge others with false citations. Tillotson.
10.
Presence; sight; front; as in the phrases, before the face of, in the immediate presence of; in the face of, before, in, or against the front of;
as, to fly
; to the face of, directly to; from the face of, from the presence of. in the face of
danger11.
Mode of regard, whether favorable or unfavorable; favor or anger; mostly in Scriptural phrases.
The Lord make his
face
to shine upon thee. Num. vi. 25.
My
face
[favor] will I turn also from them. Ezek. vii. 22.
12.
(Mining)
The end or wall of the tunnel, drift, or excavation, at which work is progressing or was last done.
13.
(Com.)
The exact amount expressed on a bill, note, bond, or other mercantile paper, without any addition for interest or reduction for discount; most commonly called
face value
. McElrath.
☞ Face is used either adjectively or as part of a compound; as, face guard or face-guard; face cloth; face plan or face-plan; face hammer.
Face ague
(Med.)
, a form of neuralgia, characterized by acute lancinating pains returning at intervals, and by twinges in certain parts of the face, producing convulsive twitches in the corresponding muscles; – called also
– tic douloureux
. Face card
, one of a pack of playing cards on which a human face is represented; the king, queen, or jack.
– Face cloth
, a cloth laid over the face of a corpse.
– Face guard
, a mask with windows for the eyes, worn by workman exposed to great heat, or to flying particles of metal, stone, etc., as in glass works, foundries, etc.
– Face hammer
, a hammer having a flat face.
– Face joint
(Arch.)
, a joint in the face of a wall or other structure.
– Face mite
(Zool.)
, a small, elongated mite (
– Demdex folliculorum
), parasitic in the hair follicles of the face. Face mold
, the templet or pattern by which carpenters, etc., outline the forms which are to be cut out from boards, sheet metal, etc.
– Face plate
. (a)
(Turning)
A plate attached to the spindle of a lathe, to which the work to be turned may be attached.
(b)
A covering plate for an object, to receive wear or shock.
(c)
A true plane for testing a dressed surface.
Knight.
– Face wheel
. (Mach.)
(a)
A crown wheel.
(b)
A wheel whose disk face is adapted for grinding and polishing; a lap.
– face value
the value written on a financial instrument; same as
face{13}
. Also used metaphorically, to mean apparent value
; as, to take his statemnet at its
.face value
Cylinder face
(Steam Engine)
, the flat part of a steam cylinder on which a slide valve moves.
– Face of an anvil
, its flat upper surface.
– Face of a bastion
(Fort.)
, the part between the salient and the shoulder angle.
– Face of coal
(Mining)
, the principal cleavage plane, at right angles to the stratification.
– Face of a gun
, the surface of metal at the muzzle.
– Face of a place
(Fort.)
, the front comprehended between the flanked angles of two neighboring bastions.
Wilhelm.
– Face of a square
(Mil.)
, one of the sides of a battalion when formed in a square.
– Face of a
watch, clock, compass, card etc.
the dial or graduated surface on which a pointer indicates the time of day, point of the compass, etc.
– Face to face
. (a)
In the presence of each other;
as, to bring the accuser and the accused
. face to face
(b)
Without the interposition of any body or substance.
“Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face.” 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
(c)
With the faces or finished surfaces turned inward or toward one another; vis à vis; – opposed to
– back to back
. To fly in the face of
, to defy; to brave; to withstand.
– To make a face
, to distort the countenance; to make a grimace; – often expressing dislike, annoyance, or disagreement.
Shak.
Face
(fās)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Faced
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Facing
.] 1.
To meet in front; to oppose with firmness; to resist, or to meet for the purpose of stopping or opposing; to confront; to encounter;
as, to
. face
an enemy in the field of battleI’ll
This tempest, and deserve the name of king.
face
This tempest, and deserve the name of king.
Dryden.
2.
To Confront impudently; to bully.
I will neither be
faced
nor braved. Shakespeare
3.
To stand opposite to; to stand with the face or front toward; to front upon;
as, the apartments of the general
. faced
the park; some of the seats on the train faced
backwardHe gained also with his forces that part of Britain which
faces
Ireland. Milton.
4.
To cover in front, for ornament, protection, etc.; to put a facing upon;
as, a building
. faced
with marble5.
To line near the edge, esp. with a different material;
as, to
. face
the front of a coat, or the bottom of a dress6.
To cover with better, or better appearing, material than the mass consists of, for purpose of deception, as the surface of a box of tea, a barrel of sugar, etc.
7.
(Mach.)
To make the surface of (anything) flat or smooth; to dress the face of (a stone, a casting, etc.); esp., in turning, to shape or smooth the flat surface of, as distinguished from the cylindrical surface.
8.
To cause to turn or present a face or front, as in a particular direction.
Face
,Verb.
I.
1.
To carry a false appearance; to play the hypocrite.
“To lie, to face, to forge.” Spenser.
2.
To turn the face;
as, to
. face
to the right or leftFace
about, man; a soldier, and afraid! Dryden.
3.
To present a face or front.
Webster 1828 Edition
Face
FACE
,Noun.
1.
In a general sense, the surface of a thing, or the side which presents itself to the view of a spectator; as the face of the earth; the face of the waters.2.
A part of the surface of a thing; or the plane surface of a solid. Thus, a cube or die has six faces an octahedron has eight faces.3.
The surface of the fore part of an animals head, particularly of the human head; the visage.In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Genesis 3.
Joseph bowed himself with his face to the earth. Genesis 48.
4.
Countenance; cast of features; look; air of the face.We set the best face on it we could.
5.
The front of a thing; the forepart; the flat surface that presents itself first to view; as the face of a house. Ezekiel 41.6.
Visible state; appearance.This would produce a new face of things in Europe.
7.
Appearance; look.Nor heaven, nor sea, their former face retained.
His dialogue has the face of probability.
8.
State of confrontation. The witnesses were presented face to face.9.
Confidence; boldness; impudence; a bold front.He has the face to charge others with false citations.
10.
Presence; sight; as in the phrases, before the face, in the face, to the face, from the face.11.
The person.I had not thought to see thy face. Genesis 48.
12.
In scripture, face is used for anger or favor.Hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne. Revelations 6.
Make thy face to shine on thy servant. Psalm 31.
How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? Psalm 8.
Hence, to seek the face, that is, to pray to, to seek the favor of.
To set the face against, is to oppose.
To accept ones face, is to show him favor or grant his request. So, to entreat the face, is to ask favor; but these phrases are nearly obsolete.
13.
A distorted form of the face; as in the phrase, to make faces, or to make wry faces.Face to face
1.
When both parties are present; as, to have accusers face to face. Acts 25.2.
Nakedly; without the interposition of any other body.Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. 1 Corinthians 13.