Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FAB'U-LOUS-LY, adv.

In fable or fiction; in a fabulous manner. Brown.

FAB'U-LOUS-NESS, n.

The quality of being fabulous or feigned.

FAC'ADE, n. [fassa'de; Fr.]

Front; front view or elevation of an edifice. Warton.

FACE, n. [Fr. face; It. faccia; Sp. faz, or haz; Arm. façz; L. facies, from facio, to make.]

1. In a general sense, the surface of a thing, or the side which presents itself to the view; of the 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 animal's head, particularly of the human head; the visage. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Gen. iii. Joseph bowed himself with his face to the earth. Gen. xiviii.
4. Countenance; cast of features; look; air of the face. We set the best face on it we could. Dryden.
5. The front of a thing; the forepart; the flat surface that presents itself first to view; as, the face of a house. Ezek. xli.
6. Visible state; appearance. This would produce a new face of things in Europe. Addison.
7. Appearance; look. Nor heaven, nor sea, their former face retained. Waller. His dialogue has the face of probability. Baker.
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. Tillotson.
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. Gen. xlviii.
12. In Scripture, face is used for anger or favor. Hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne. Rev. vi. Make thy face to shine on thy servant. Ps. xxxi. How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? Ps. xiii. 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 one's 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, when both parties are present; as, to have accusers face to face. Acts xxv.
14. Nakedly; without the interposition of any other body. Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face. 1 Cor. xiii.

FACE, v.i.

1. To carry a false appearance; to play the hypocrite. To lie, to face, to forge. Hubberd's Tale.
2. To turn the face; as, to face to the right or left.

FACE, v.t.

1. To meet in front; to oppose with firmness; to resist, or to meet for the purpose of stopping or opposing; as, to face an enemy in the field of battle. I'll face / This tempest, and deserve the name of king. Dryden.
2. To stand opposite to; to stand with the face or front toward. The colleges in New Haven face the public square.
3. To cover with additional superficies; to cover in front; as, a fortification faced with marble; to face a garment with silk. To face down, to oppose boldly, or impudently.

FACE-CLOTH, n. [face and cloth.]

A cloth laid over the face of a corpse. Brand.

FAC-ED, pp.

Covered in front. In composition, denoting the kind of face; as, full-faced. Bailey.

FACE-LESS, a.

Without a face.

FACE-PAINT-ER, n.

A painter of portraits; one who draws the likeness of the face.

FACE-PAINT-ING, n.

The act or art of painting portraits. Dryden.

FAC'ET, n. [Fr. facette, from face; Sp. faceta.]

A little face; a small surface; as, the facets of a diamond.

FA-CETE, a. [L. facetus.]

Gay; cheerful. [Not in use.] Burton.

FA-CETE-LY, adv.

Sportively; with good humor. [Not used.] Burton.

FA-CETE-NESS, n.

Wit; pleasant representation. [Not used.] Hales.

FA-CE'TIAE, n. [FA-CE'TIÆ; plur.; L.]

Witty or humorous writings.

FACETIAE, n. [Faceētiæ. L.]

Witty or humorous writings.

FA-CE'TIOUS, a. [Fr. facetieux; Sp. facecioso; It. faceto; L. facetus; or facetiæ, plur. Qu. Ar. فَكِهَ to be merry.]

1. Merry; sportive; jocular; sprightly with wit and good humor; as, a facetious companion.
2. Witty; full of pleasantry; playful; exciting laughter; as, a facetious story; a facetious reply.

FA-CE'TIOUS-LY, adv.

Merrily; gayly; wittily; with pleasantry.

FA-CE'TIOUS-NESS, n.

Sportive humor; pleasantry; the quality of exciting laughter or good humor.

FA'CIAL, a. [L. facies, face.]

Pertaining to the face; as, the facial artery, vein or nerve. Facial angle, in anatomy, is the angle contained by a line drawn horizontally from the middle of the external entrance of the ear to the edge of the nostrils, and another from this latter point to the superciliary ridge of the frontal bone, serving to measure the elevation of the forehead. Ed. Encyc.

FA'CIAL-LY, adv.

In a facial manner.

FAC'ILE, a. [Fr. facile; Sp. facil; L. facilis, from facio, to make.]

1. Properly, easy to be done or performed; easy; not difficult; performable or attainable with little labor. Order – will render the work facile and delightful. Evelyn.
2. Easy to be surmounted or removed; easily conquerable. The facile gates of hell too slightly barred. Milton.
3. Easy of access or converse; mild; courteous; not haughty, austere or distant. I mean she should be courteous, facile, sweet. B. Jonson.
4. Pliant; flexible; easily persuaded to good or bad; yielding; ductile to a fault. Since Adam, and his facile consort Eve, / Lost Paradise, deceived by me. Milton.

FAC'ILE-LY, adv.

Easily. [Little used.] Herbert.

FAC'ILE-NESS, n.

Easiness to be persuaded. Beaum.