to fly in the face of

Fly \Fly\ (fl[imac]), v. i. [imp. {Flew} (fl[=u]); p. p. {Flown}
   (fl[=o]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Flying}.] [OE. fleen, fleen,
   fleyen, flegen, AS. fle['o]gan; akin to D. vliegen, OHG.
   fliogan, G. fliegen, Icel. flj[=u]ga, Sw. flyga, Dan. flyve,
   Goth. us-flaugjan to cause to fly away, blow about, and perh.
   to L. pluma feather, E. plume. [root]84. Cf. {Fledge},
   {Flight}, {Flock} of animals.]
   1. To move in or pass through the air with wings, as a bird.

   2. To move through the air or before the wind; esp., to pass
      or be driven rapidly through the air by any impulse.
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   3. To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag.
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            Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
                                                  --Job v. 7.
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   4. To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away; to circulate
      rapidly; as, a ship flies on the deep; a top flies around;
      rumor flies.
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            Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race.
                                                  --Milton.
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            The dark waves murmured as the ships flew on.
                                                  --Bryant.
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   5. To run from danger; to attempt to escape; to flee; as, an
      enemy or a coward flies. See Note under {Flee}.
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            Fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.   --Milton.
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            Whither shall I fly to escape their hands ? --Shak.
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   6. To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly
      or swiftly; -- usually with a qualifying word; as, a door
      flies open; a bomb flies apart.
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   {To fly about} (Naut.), to change frequently in a short time;
      -- said of the wind.

   {To fly around}, to move about in haste. [Colloq.]

   {To fly at}, to spring toward; to rush on; to attack
      suddenly.

   {To fly in the face of}, to insult; to assail; to set at
      defiance; to oppose with violence; to act in direct
      opposition to; to resist.

   {To fly off}, to separate, or become detached suddenly; to
      revolt.

   {To fly on}, to attack.

   {To fly open}, to open suddenly, or with violence.

   {To fly out}.
      (a) To rush out.
      (b) To burst into a passion; to break out into license.

   {To let fly}.
      (a) To throw or drive with violence; to discharge. "A man
          lets fly his arrow without taking any aim." --Addison.
      (b) (Naut.) To let go suddenly and entirely; as, to let
          fly the sheets.
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Face \Face\ (f[=a]s), n. [F., from L. facies form, shape, face,
   perh. from facere to make (see {Fact}); or perh. orig.
   meaning appearance, and from a root meaning to shine, and
   akin to E. fancy. Cf. {Facetious}.]
   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.
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            A mist . . . watered the whole face of the ground.
                                                  --Gen. ii. 6.
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            Lake Leman wooes me with its crystal face. --Byron.
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   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.
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   3. (Mach.)
      (a) The principal dressed surface of a plate, disk, or
          pulley; the principal flat surface of a part or
          object.
      (b) That part of the acting surface of a cog in a cog
          wheel, which projects beyond the pitch line.
      (c) The width of a pulley, or the length of a cog from end
          to end; as, a pulley or cog wheel of ten inches face.
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   4. (Print.)
      (a) The upper surface, or the character upon the surface,
          of a type, plate, etc.
      (b) The style or cut of a type or font of type.
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   5. Outside appearance; surface show; look; external aspect,
      whether natural, assumed, or acquired.
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            To set a face upon their own malignant design.
                                                  --Milton.
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            This would produce a new face of things in Europe.
                                                  --Addison.
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            We wear a face of joy, because
            We have been glad of yore.            --Wordsworth.
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   6. That part of the head, esp. of man, in which the eyes,
      cheeks, nose, and mouth are situated; visage; countenance.
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            In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.
                                                  --Gen. iii.
                                                  19.
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   7. Cast of features; expression of countenance; look; air;
      appearance.
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            We set the best faceon it we could.   --Dryden.
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   8. (Astrol.) Ten degrees in extent of a sign of the zodiac.
      --Chaucer.
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   9. Maintenance of the countenance free from abashment or
      confusion; confidence; boldness; shamelessness;
      effrontery.
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            This is the man that has the face to charge others
            with false citations.                 --Tillotson.
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   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.
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   11. Mode of regard, whether favorable or unfavorable; favor
       or anger; mostly in Scriptural phrases.
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             The Lord make his face to shine upon thee. --Num.
                                                  vi. 25.
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             My face [favor] will I turn also from them. --Ezek.
                                                  vii. 22.
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   12. (Mining) The end or wall of the tunnel, drift, or
       excavation, at which work is progressing or was last
       done.
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   13. (Com.) 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}. --McElrath.
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   Note: Face is used either adjectively or as part of a
         compound; as, face guard or face-guard; face cloth;
         face plan or face-plan; face hammer.
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   {Face ague} (Med.), 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} (Arch.), a joint in the face of a wall or other
      structure.

   {Face mite} (Zool.), 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) (Turning) A plate attached to the spindle of a lathe,
           to which the work to be turned may be attached.
       (b) A covering plate for an object, to receive wear or
           shock.
       (c) A true plane for testing a dressed surface. --Knight.

   {Face wheel}. (Mach.)
       (a) A crown wheel.
       (b) A wheel whose disk face is adapted for grinding and
           polishing; a lap.

   {face value} the value written on a financial instrument;
      same as {face[13]}. Also used metaphorically, to mean
      apparent value; as, to take his statemnet at its face
      value.
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   {Cylinder face} (Steam Engine), 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} (Fort.), the part between the salient and
      the shoulder angle.

   {Face of coal} (Mining), 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} (Fort.), the front comprehended between the
      flanked angles of two neighboring bastions. --Wilhelm.

   {Face of a square} (Mil.), one of the sides of a battalion
      when formed in a square.

   {Face of a} {watch, clock, compass, card etc.}, the dial or
      graduated surface on which a pointer indicates the time of
      day, point of the compass, etc.

   {Face to face}.
       (a) In the presence of each other; as, to bring the
           accuser and the accused face to face.
       (b) Without the interposition of any body or substance.
           "Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to
           face." 1 --Cor. xiii. 12.
       (c) With the faces or finished surfaces turned inward or
           toward one another; vis [`a] vis; -- opposed to {back
           to back}.

   {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. --Shak.
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