face

noun28

1. •
   the part at the front of the head, with the mouth, nose and eyes

   • That girl has a pretty face.
   • The monkey pressed its face against the railings.
2. •
   The frontal aspect of something.

   • The face of the cliff loomed above them.
3. •
   The numbered dial of a clock or watch; the clock face.
4. •
   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.
5. •
   Any of the flat bounding surfaces of a polyhedron; more generally, any of the bounding pieces of a polytope of any dimension.

   • A cube has six faces, each of which is a square.
6. •
   The front surface of a bat.
7. •
   The part of a golf club that hits the ball.
8. •
   The side of the card that shows its value (as opposed to the back side, which looks the same on all cards of the deck).
9. •
   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.
10. •
    One's facial expression.

    • Why the sad face?
11. •
    A distorted facial expression; an expression of displeasure, insult, etc.

    • Children! Stop making faces at each other!
12. •
    (figurative) Public image; outward appearance.

    • Our chairman is the face of this company.
    • He managed to show a bold face despite his embarrassment.
13. •
    (figurative) Good reputation; standing, in the eyes of others; dignity; prestige.
14. •
    The player character, especially as opposed to minions or other entities which might absorb damage instead of the player character.

    • When playing aggro decks, hit face whenever you can; it's not worth spending your resources to try to control the board.
15. •
    (figurative) 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.
16. •
    (informal, figurative) 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.
17. •
    (figurative) An aspect of the character or nature of someone or something.

    • This is a face of her that we have not seen before.
    • Poverty is the ugly face of capitalism.
18. •
    (figurative) Presence; sight; front.
19. •
    (slang, figurative) A headlining wrestler with a persona embodying heroic or virtuous traits and who is regarded as a "good guy", especially one who is handsome and well-conditioned; a baby face.

    • The fans cheered on the face as he made his comeback.
20. •
    (informal, slang) The mouth.

    • Shut your face!
    • He's always stuffing his face with chips.
21. •
    (figurative) Shameless confidence; boldness; effrontery.

    • You've got some face coming round here after what you've done.
22. •
    The directed force of something.

    • They turned the boat into the face of the storm.
23. •
    (informal, slang) Makeup; one's complete facial cosmetic application.

    • I'll be out in a sec. Just let me put on my face.
24. •
    (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
25. •
    A typeface.
26. •
    The width of a pulley, or the length of a cog from end to end.

    • a pulley or cog wheel of ten inches face
27. •
    The head of a lion, shown face-on and cut off immediately behind the ears.
28. •
    A mode of regard, whether favourable or unfavourable; favour or anger.

    • 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

verb15

1. •
   To position oneself or itself so as to have one's face closest to (something).

   • Face the sun.
2. •
   To have its front closest to, or in the direction of (something else).

   • Turn the chair so it faces the table.
3. •
   To have the front in a certain direction.

   • The seats in the carriage faced backwards.
4. •
   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.
5. •
   To be presented or confronted with; to have in prospect.

   • We are facing an uncertain future.
6. •
   To have as an opponent.

   • Real Madrid face Juventus in the quarter-finals.
7. •
   To cover in front, for ornament, protection, etc.; to put a facing upon.

   • a building faced with marble
8. •
   To line near the edge, especially with a different material.
9. •
   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.
10. •
    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
11. •
    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.
12. •
    To be the batsman on strike.

    • Willoughby comes in to bowl, and it's Hobson facing.
13. •
    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.
14. •
    (slang) To smoke (as, a joint or blunt) entirely by oneself.

    • He faced that blunt in ten minutes.
15. •
    (dialect, no longer used) To confront impudently; to bully.

    • Face not mee: thou hast brau'd manie men, braue not me; I will neither bee fac'd nor brau'd. — 1590

adverb1

1. •
   (slang) Intensely.

   • He's tripping face.
   • She must be rolling face.

phrase1

1. •
   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.