FACE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does face mean? 

• FACE (noun)
  The noun FACE has 13 senses:

1. the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

2. the feelings expressed on a person's face

3. the general outward appearance of something

4. the striking or working surface of an implement

5. a part of a person that is used to refer to a person

6. a surface forming part of the outside of an object

7. the part of an animal corresponding to the human face

8. the side upon which the use of a thing depends (usually the most prominent surface of an object)

9. a contorted facial expression

10. a specific size and style of type within a type family

11. status in the eyes of others

12. impudent aggressiveness

13. a vertical surface of a building or cliff

  Familiarity information: FACE used as a noun is familiar.

• FACE (verb)
  The verb FACE has 9 senses:

1. deal with (something unpleasant) head on

2. oppose, as in hostility or a competition

3. be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to

4. be opposite

5. turn so as to face; turn the face in a certain direction

6. present somebody with something, usually to accuse or criticize

7. turn so as to expose the face

8. line the edge (of a garment) with a different material

9. cover the front or surface of

  Familiarity information: FACE used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FACE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

face; human face

Context example:

I wish I had seen the look on his face when he got the news

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

external body part (any body part visible externally)

Meronyms (parts of "face"):

eye; oculus; optic (the organ of sight)

jaw (the bones of the skull that frame the mouth and serve to open it; the bones that hold the teeth)

jowl (a fullness and looseness of the flesh of the lower cheek and jaw (characteristic of aging))

cheek (either side of the face below the eyes)

brow; forehead (the part of the face above the eyes)

facial muscle (any of the skeletal muscles of the face)

feature; lineament (the characteristic parts of a person's face: eyes and nose and mouth and chin)

chin; mentum (the protruding part of the lower jaw)

facial; facial nerve; nervus facialis; seventh cranial nerve (cranial nerve that supplies facial muscles)

facial vein; vena facialis (any of several veins draining the face)

brow; eyebrow; supercilium (the arch of hair above each eye)

mouth (the externally visible part of the oral cavity on the face and the system of organs surrounding the opening)

beard; face fungus; whiskers (the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face)

nose; olfactory organ (the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

countenance; kisser; mug; phiz; physiognomy; smiler; visage (the human face ('kisser' and 'smiler' and 'mug' are informal terms for 'face' and 'phiz' is British))

Holonyms ("face" is a part of...):

homo; human; human being; man (any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage)

caput; head (the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains)

Derivation:

facial (of or concerning the face)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The feelings expressed on a person's face

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

aspect; expression; face; facial expression; look

Context example:

an angry face

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

countenance; visage (the appearance conveyed by a person's face)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

leer (a suggestive or sneering look or grin)

light; spark; sparkle; twinkle (merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The general outward appearance of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

the face of the city is changing

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

appearance; visual aspect (outward or visible aspect of a person or thing)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The striking or working surface of an implement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

surface (the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary)

Holonyms ("face" is a part of...):

club-head; club head; clubhead; golf-club head ((golf) the head of the club which strikes the ball)

head (the striking part of a tool)

racket; racquet (a sports implement (usually consisting of a handle and an oval frame with a tightly interlaced network of strings) used to strike a ball (or shuttlecock) in various games)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A part of a person that is used to refer to a person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Context example:

when he returned to work he met many new faces

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Domain usage:

synecdoche (substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A surface forming part of the outside of an object

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

face; side

Context example:

they travelled across the face of the continent

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

surface (the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

windward (the side of something that is toward the wind)

top; top side; upper side; upside (the highest or uppermost side of anything)

back end; backside; rear (the side of an object that is opposite its front)

lee; lee side; leeward (the side of something that is sheltered from the wind)

forepart; front; front end (the side that is forward or prominent)

bottom; underside; undersurface (the lower side of anything)

beam-ends ((nautical) at the ends of the transverse deck beams of a vessel)

Derivation:

face (turn so as to expose the face)

facial (of or pertaining to the outside surface of an object)

Sense 7

Meaning:

The part of an animal corresponding to the human face

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

external body part (any body part visible externally)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

muzzle (forward projecting part of the head of certain animals; includes the jaws and nose)

Holonyms ("face" is a part of...):

animal; animate being; beast; brute; creature; fauna (a living organism characterized by voluntary movement)

Derivation:

facial (of or concerning the face)

Sense 8

Meaning:

The side upon which the use of a thing depends (usually the most prominent surface of an object)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

he dealt the cards face down

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

front (the side that is seen or that goes first)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

dial (the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours)

clock dial; clock face (the face of a clock showing hours and minutes of the day)

Holonyms ("face" is a part of...):

playing card (one of a pack of cards that are used to play card games)

ticker; watch (a small portable timepiece)

Derivation:

face (turn so as to expose the face)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A contorted facial expression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

face; grimace

Context example:

she made a grimace at the prospect

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

facial expression; facial gesture (a gesture executed with the facial muscles)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

moue; pout; wry face (a disdainful grimace)

Sense 10

Meaning:

A specific size and style of type within a type family

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

case; face; font; fount; typeface

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

type (printed characters)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

Helvetica; sans serif (a typeface in which characters have no serifs)

raster font; screen font (the font that is displayed on a computer screen)

italic (a typeface with letters slanting upward to the right)

bold; bold face; boldface (a typeface with thick heavy lines)

black letter; Gothic (a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries)

cartridge font; font cartridge (any font that is contained in a cartridge that can be plugged into a computer printer)

constant-width font; fixed-width font; monospaced font; typewriter font (a typeface is which each character is given the same width (as by a typewriter))

bicameral script (a script having two distinct cases)

unicameral script (a script with a single case)

proportional font (any font whose different characters have different widths)

Holonyms ("face" is a member of...):

type family (a complete set of type suitable for printing text)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Status in the eyes of others

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

he lost face

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

position; status (the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society)

Sense 12

Meaning:

Impudent aggressiveness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

boldness; brass; cheek; face; nerve

Context example:

he had the effrontery to question my honesty

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

aggressiveness (the quality of being bold and enterprising)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

audaciousness; audacity (aggressive boldness or unmitigated effrontery)

Derivation:

face (oppose, as in hostility or a competition)

Sense 13

Meaning:

A vertical surface of a building or cliff

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("face" is a kind of...):

vertical surface (a surface that is vertical)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "face"):

coalface (the part of a coal seam that is being cut)

perpendicular (an extremely steep face)

Derivation:

face (cover the front or surface of)

• FACE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Deal with (something unpleasant) head on

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

confront; face; face up

Context example:

He faced the terrible consequences of his mistakes

Hypernyms (to "face" is one way to...):

approach; go about; set about (begin to deal with)

Verb group:

confront; face; present (present somebody with something, usually to accuse or criticize)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "face"):

tackle; take on; undertake (accept as a challenge)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Oppose, as in hostility or a competition

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

confront; face

Context example:

The two enemies finally confronted each other

Hypernyms (to "face" is one way to...):

encounter; meet; play; take on (contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "face"):

breast; front (confront bodily)

take the bull by the horns (face a difficulty and grapple with it without avoiding it)

match; oppose; pit; play off (set into opposition or rivalry)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Also:

face off (start a game by a face-off)

Derivation:

face (impudent aggressiveness)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

face; front; look

Context example:

The building faces the park

Hypernyms (to "face" is one way to...):

lie (be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position)

Verb group:

face (be opposite)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "face"):

confront (be face to face with)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sentence example:

His fields face mine at this point

Sense 4

Meaning:

Be opposite

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

the two sofas face each other

Hypernyms (to "face" is one way to...):

be (occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere)

Verb group:

face; front; look (be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Turn so as to face; turn the face in a certain direction

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

Turn and face your partner now

Hypernyms (to "face" is one way to...):

turn (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense)

Verb group:

face (turn so as to expose the face)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Present somebody with something, usually to accuse or criticize

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

confront; face; present

Context example:

An enormous dilemma faces us

Verb group:

confront; face; face up (deal with (something unpleasant) head on)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Turn so as to expose the face

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Context example:

face a playing card

Hypernyms (to "face" is one way to...):

disclose; expose; uncover (reveal to view as by removing a cover)

Verb group:

face (turn so as to face; turn the face in a certain direction)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

face (the side upon which the use of a thing depends (usually the most prominent surface of an object))

face (a surface forming part of the outside of an object)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Line the edge (of a garment) with a different material

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

face the lapels of the jacket

Hypernyms (to "face" is one way to...):

line (cover the interior of)

Verb group:

face (cover the front or surface of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "face"):

reface (put a new facing on (a garment))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

facing (a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Cover the front or surface of

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The building was faced with beautiful stones

Hypernyms (to "face" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Verb group:

face (line the edge (of a garment) with a different material)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "face"):

revet (face with a layer of stone or concrete or other supporting material so as to retain)

reface (provide with a new facing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

face (a vertical surface of a building or cliff)

facing (providing something with a surface of a different material)

facing (a protective covering that protects the outside of a building)

facing (an ornamental coating to a building)

 Context examples 

Oldacre gave an uneasy laugh, shrinking back from the furious red face of the angry detective.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She was most impressed, however, by the extreme pallor of his face and by the nervousness of his manner.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I only caught a glimpse of her at the moment, but she was a lovely woman, with a face that a man might die for.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He looks at me, and his face is glad. 'Go,' I say, 'even as Yamikan went.'

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

There had been times when it was all he could do to refrain from reaching over and mopping Jim's face in the mush- plate.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He blew my hairs aside to take a better view of my face.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

You may have already faced such matters last month.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

There was no warning, only a leap in like a flash, a metallic clip of teeth, a leap out equally swift, and Curly’s face was ripped open from eye to jaw.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

The kind soul promised, and we both of us kissed the keyhole with the greatest affection—I patted it with my hand, I recollect, as if it had been her honest face—and parted.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck, and said, "For your mother's sake," and went out of the room.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)