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Entry 24 senses · 3 variants Webster, 1913

Face

/(fās)/ · IPA /feɪs/
01 n. The exterior form or appearance of anything; that part which presents itself to the view; especially, the front or upper part or surface; t…
  1. 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. 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. 3.
    The principal dressed surface of a plate, disk, or pulley; the principal flat surface of a part or object.(Mach.)
  4. 4.
    The upper surface, or the character upon the surface, of a type, plate, etc.(Print.)
  5. 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 face of joy, because We have been glad of yore.” — Wordsworth.
  6. 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. 7.
    Cast of features; expression of countenance; look; air; appearance.
    “We set the best faceon it we could.” — Dryden.
  8. 8.
    Ten degrees in extent of a sign of the zodiac.(Astrol.)
  9. 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. 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 in the face of danger; to the face of, directly to; from the face of, from the presence of.
  11. 11.
    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. 12.
    The end or wall of the tunnel, drift, or excavation, at which work is progressing or was last done.(Mining)
  13. 13.
    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.(Com.) Also: face value
Phrases & compounds
Face ague — 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 — a joint in the face of a wall or other structure.
Face mite — 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 plate attached to the spindle of a lathe, to which the work to be turned may be attached.
Face wheel — A crown wheel.
Face value — the value written on a financial instrument; same as def. 13. Also used metaphorically, to mean apparent value; as, to take his statemnet at its face value.
Cylinder face — 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 — the part between the salient and the shoulder angle.
Face of coal — 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 — the front comprehended between the flanked angles of two neighboring bastions.
Face of a square — one of the sides of a battalion when formed in a square.
Face of a watch, clock, compass, card — the dial or graduated surface on which a pointer indicates the time of day, point of the compass, etc.
Face to face — In the presence of each other; as, to bring the accuser and the accused face to face.
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.
02 v. t. 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…
imp. & p. p. Faced; p. pr. & vb. n. Facing
  1. 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 battle.
    “I'll face This tempest, and deserve the name of king.” — Dryden.
  2. 2.
    To Confront impudently; to bully.
    “I will neither be facednor braved.” — Shak.
  3. 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 backward.
    “He gained also with his forces that part of Britain which faces Ireland.” — Milton.
  4. 4.
    To cover in front, for ornament, protection, etc.; to put a facing upon; as, a building faced with marble.
  5. 5.
    To line near the edge, esp. with a different material; as, to face the front of a coat, or the bottom of a dress.
  6. 6.
    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. 7.
    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.(Mach.)
  8. 8.
    To cause to turn or present a face or front, as in a particular direction.
Phrases & compounds
To face down — to put down by bold or impudent opposition.
To face (a thing) out — to persist boldly or impudently in an assertion or in a line of conduct.
to face the music — to admit error and accept reprimand or punishment as a consequence for having failed or having done something wrong; to willingly experience an unpleasant situation out of a sense of duty or obligation; as, as soon as he broke the window with the football, Billy knew he would have to face the music.
03 v. i. To carry a false appearance; to play the hypocrite.
  1. 1.
    To carry a false appearance; to play the hypocrite.
  2. 2.
    To turn the face; as, to face to the right or left.
    “Face about, man; a soldier, and afraid!” — Dryden.
  3. 3.
    To present a face or front.