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.
Anatomy, Medicine, Sciences The front part of the head of a human or other animal, featuring the eyes, nose, and mouth, and the surrounding area.
That girl has a pretty face.
The monkey pressed its face against the railings.
2 more examples
It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
‘Children crawled over each other like little grey worms in the gutters,’ he said. ‘The only red things about them were their buttocks and they were raw. Their faces looked as if snails had slimed on them and their mothers were like great sick beasts whose byres had never been cleared.[…]’1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 7, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
Informal, Slang A distorted facial expression; an expression of displeasure, insult, etc.
In expressions such as make a face
Children! Stop making faces at each other!
4
Informal, Slang The amount expressed on a bill, note, bond, etc., without any interest or discount; face value.
MAKE Money-wholesale U.S. stamps—buy mint stamps below face. Be a dealer. Send $1.00 for two giant catalogs, refunded first order. Von Stein, Bernardsville, N.J.1966 November, “Classified Opportunity Mart: Stamp Collecting [advertisement]”, in Popular Science Monthly, volume 189, number 5, page 229:
With certain exceptions for valuable stamps, dealers and many collectors are only willing to offer a percentage of face (80-90%). So instead, Lloyd took the sheets to work and posted a message asking if anyone wanted to buy sheets of old U.S. stamps at face.1995 January 18, Ed Jackson, “Re: US sheets -- Sell for how much?”, in rec.collecting.stamps (Usenet):
1 more example
Talking about buying below face, I've bought a lot of rolled coins at below face. I'm not going to pay face just to drag them to the bank and deposit them.2005 March 16, Cliff, “Re: This sounds like a newbie question....”, in rec.collecting.coins (Usenet):
He managed to show a bold face despite his embarrassment.
1 more example
As the film points out, the actor became known as “the face of Aids”.2023 October 6, Ryan Gilbey, “The double life of Rock Hudson: ‘Let’s be frank, he was a horndog!’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
8
Figuratively Good reputation; standing, in the eyes of others; dignity; prestige.
The Bat—they called him the Bat. Like a bat he chose the night hours for his work of rapine; like a bat he struck and vanished, pouncingly, noiselessly; like a bat he never showed himself to the face of the day.1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 01:
12
Figuratively A person; the self; (reflexively) oneself.
It was just the usual faces at the pub tonight.
He better not show his face around here no more.
13
Figuratively, Informal A familiar or well-known person; a member of a particular scene, such as the music or fashion scene.
He owned several local businesses and was a face around town.
Vincent was the very best dancer in Bay Ridge—the ultimate Face.1976 June 7, Nik Cohn, “Inside the Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night”, in New York Magazine:
The fans cheered on the face as he made his comeback.
15
The frontal aspect of something.
The face of the cliff loomed above them.
Then, the torpedo bombers arrived, but, unlike those that had dealt Hornet such a heavy blow, these split their attention between Enterprise, South Dakota, Portland, and the rather-bewildered destroyer USS Smith, which got a damaged Kate and its torpedo to the face for its trouble.2021 February 3, Drachinifel, 17:16 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - Santa Cruz (IJN 2 : 2 USN), archived from the original on 04 Dec 2022:
16
The numbered dial of a clock or watch; the clock face.
An interesting feature of the church is the invisible clock, which you can hear thumping away as you enter. Constructed in 1525, it is one of the oldest timepieces in England. It chimes the hours and the quarters, and every three hours it plays a hymn. But it has no faces.1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 163:
17
The directed force of something.
They turned the boat into the face of the storm.
18
Any surface, especially a front or outer one.
Put a big sign on each face of the building that can be seen from the road.
They climbed the north face of the mountain.
4 more examples
She wanted to wipe him off the face of the earth.
But there went vp a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 2:6:
Lake Leman woos me with its crystal face.1812–1818, Lord Byron, “(please specify |canto=I to IV)”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. , London: John Murray,, (please specify the stanza number):
Captain Anderson: He has the secrets from the beacon. He has an army of geth at his command. And he won't stop until he's wiped humanity from the face of the galaxy!2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-1:
19
Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences Any of the flat bounding surfaces of a polyhedron; more generally, any of the bounding pieces of a polytope of any dimension.
Business, Mining The exposed surface of the mineral deposit where it is being mined. Also the exposed end surface of a tunnel where digging may still be in progress.
For the typophiles reading this, the book is attractively designed. It is set in Classic Aldine, a handsome face akin to the more popular Palatino. The designer's work is unfortunately marred by indifferent printing.1982 August 28, Mark McHarry, “A Minor Delight”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 7, page 12:
28
A mode of regard, whether favourable or unfavourable; favour or anger.
The Lord make his face shine vpon thee, and be gracious vnto thee:1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 6:25:
My face will I turne also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it and defile it.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 7:22:
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.
Of a person or animal To position oneself or itself so as to have one's face closest to (something).
Face the sun.
Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. The clear light of the bright autumn morning had no terrors for youth and health like hers.1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
1 more example
Smooth and slender and naked, Mary Rittersdorf faced her husband.1964, Philip K. Dick, “THIRTEEN”, in Clans of the Alphane Moon, United States: Ace Books, →OCLC; republished London: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1996, →ISBN, page 193:
2
Of an object To have its front closest to, or in the direction of (something else).
Turn the chair so it faces the table.
He gain'd alſo with his Forces that part of Britain which faces Ireland,1670, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC, page 72:
3
To cause (something) to turn or present a face or front, as in a particular direction.
The croupier delicately faced her other two cards with the tip of his spatula. A four! She had lost!1963, Ian Fleming, On Her Majesty's Secret Service:
4
Business, Commerce, Retail To improve the display of stock by ensuring items aren't upside down or back to front and are pulled forwards.
I've put out the stock and broken down the boxes, it's just facing left to do.
In my first job, I learned how to operate a till and to face the store to high standards.
5
To be presented or confronted with; to have in prospect.
We are facing an uncertain future.
The railway is still vital to Jordan's export trade, but in spite of the poor quality of the road, diesel lorries are gradually robbing it of freight traffic, and anyone who can afford to fly does so rather than face the long desert journey by rail.1956 March, R. C. Blaker, “The Hedjaz Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 167:
1 more example
Ambassador Udina: The other species are scared. They've never faced anything like this before and they don't know what to do.2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel:
6
To deal with (a difficult situation or person); to accept (facts, reality, etc.) even when undesirable.
I'm going to have to face this sooner or later.
I'll face / This tempest, and deserve the name of king.1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
4 more examples
It is time the international community faced the reality: we have an unmanageable, unfair, distortionary global tax regime. It is a tax system that is pivotal in creating the increasing inequality that marks most advanced countries today […].2013 June 7, Joseph Stiglitz, “Globalisation is about taxes too”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 19:
According to this saga of intellectual-property misanthropy, these creatures [patent trolls] roam the business world, buying up patents and then using them to demand extravagant payouts from companies they accuse of infringing them. Often, their victims pay up rather than face the costs of a legal battle.2013 June 8, “Obama goes troll-hunting”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 55:
Network Rail doesn't expect the line through Carmont to open for around a month, as it faces the mammoth task of recovering the two power cars and four coaches from ScotRail's wrecked train, repairing bridge 325, stabilising earthworks around the landslip, and replacing the track.2020 August 26, “Network News: Mid-September before line reopens, says Network Rail”, in Rail, page 10:
I'm breaking down, breaking down at the thought of you I keep breaking down, breaking down over you again I can't face, can't face that you’re happier And so, I'm stuck rotting six feet under2022, Vane, “Six Feet Under”:
7
To have the front in a certain direction.
The seats in the carriage faced backwards.
8
To have as an opponent.
Real Madrid face Juventus in the quarter-finals.
And a further boost to England's qualification prospects came after the final whistle when Wales recorded a 2-1 home win over group rivals Montenegro, who Capello's men face in their final qualifier.2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBC:
Face not mee: thou haſt brau'd manie men, braue not me; I will neither bee fac'd nor brau'd.c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 224, column 2:
That was it. Faced by my literary hero. Nicely faced though, he was charming throughout. And it was just as I suspected; there was no way in Hell Kurt Vonnegut would acquiesce to dinner with a bunch of moon-eyed, gooey strangers.1996, Trace Beaulieu, The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, Bantam, →ISBN:
11
To cover in front, for ornament, protection, etc.; to put a facing upon.
a building faced with marble
These upper walls seem mainly to have been formed, not of sun- or fire-baked bricks, as at Gournia or Palaikastro, but of clay or rubble, coated with plaster or faced with gypsum slabs.1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 7:
12
To line near the edge, especially with a different material.
to face the front of a coat, or the bottom of a dress
13
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.
14
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences To make the surface of (anything) flat or smooth; to dress the face of (a stone, a casting, etc.); especially, in turning, to shape or smooth the flat (transverse) surface of, as distinguished from the cylindrical (axial) surface.
15
Slang To smoke (as, a joint or blunt) entirely by oneself.
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.
Entertainment, Lifestyle, MusicMnemonic 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.