from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Front \Front\ (fr[u^]nt), n. [F. frant forehead, L. frons,
frontis; perh. akin to E. brow.]
1. The forehead or brow, the part of the face above the eyes;
sometimes, also, the whole face.
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Bless'd with his father's front, his mother's
tongue. --Pope.
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Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front.
--Shak.
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His front yet threatens, and his frowns command.
--Prior.
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2. The forehead, countenance, or personal presence, as
expressive of character or temper, and especially, of
boldness of disposition, sometimes of impudence; seeming;
as, a bold front; a hardened front; hence, an attitude and
demeanor intended to represent one's feelings, even if not
actually felt; as, to put on a good front.
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With smiling fronts encountering. --Shak.
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The inhabitants showed a bold front. --Macaulay.
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3. The part or surface of anything which seems to look out,
or to be directed forward; the fore or forward part; the
foremost rank; the van; -- the opposite to back or rear;
as, the front of a house; the front of an army.
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Had he his hurts before?
Ay, on the front. --Shak.
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4. A position directly before the face of a person, or before
the foremost part of a thing; as, in front of un person,
of the troops, or of a house.
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5. The most conspicuous part.
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The very head and front of my offending. --Shak.
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6. That which covers the foremost part of the head: a front
piece of false hair worn by women.
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Like any plain Miss Smith's, who wears s front.
--Mrs.
Browning.
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7. The beginning. "Summer's front." --Shak.
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8. (Fort.) All the works along one side of the polygon
inclosing the site which is fortified.
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9. (Phon.) The middle of the upper part of the tongue, -- the
part of the tongue which is more or less raised toward the
palate in the pronunciation of certain sounds, as the
vowel i in machine, e in bed, and consonant y in you. See
Guide to Pronunciation, [sect]10.
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10. The call boy whose turn it is to answer the call, which
is often the word "front," used as an exclamation. [Hotel
Cant]
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{Bastioned front} (Mil.), a curtain connerting two half
bastions.
{Front door}, the door in the front wall of a building,
usually the principal entrance.
{Front of fortification}, the works constructed upon any one
side of a polygon. --Farrow.
{Front of operations}, all that part of the field of
operations in front of the successive positions occupied
by the army as it moves forward. --Farrow.
{To come to the front}, to attain prominence or leadership.
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