Idioms for face
Origin of face
1250–1300; (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Vulgar Latin
*facia, for Latin
faciēs
facies; (v.) late Middle English
facen, derivative of the noun
SYNONYMS FOR face
1
Face,
countenance,
visage refer to the front of the (usually human) head. The
face is the combination of the features:
a face with broad cheekbones.
Countenance, a more formal word, denotes the face as it is affected by or reveals the state of mind, and hence often signifies the look or expression on the face:
a thoughtful countenance.
Visage, still more formal, refers to the face as seen in a certain aspect, especially as revealing seriousness or severity:
a stern visage.
2 appearance, aspect, mien.
7 exterior.
14 façade.
30 veneer.
OTHER WORDS FROM face
Words nearby face
British Dictionary definitions for save face (1 of 2)
FACE
abbreviation for
Fellow of the Australian College of Education
British Dictionary definitions for save face (2 of 2)
face
/ (feɪs) /
noun
verb
Derived forms of face
faceable, adjectiveWord Origin for face
C13: from Old French, from Vulgar Latin
facia (unattested), from Latin
faciēs form, related to
facere to make
Medical definitions for save face
face
[ fās ]
n.
The front portion of the head, from forehead to chin.
Facies.
Scientific definitions for save face
face
[ fās ]
A plane surface of a geometric solid. A cube has 6 faces; a dodecahedron, 12.
Any of the surfaces of a rock or crystal.
Idioms and Phrases with save face (1 of 2)
save face
Avoid humiliation or embarrassment, preserve dignity, as in Rather than fire him outright, they let him save face by accepting his resignation. The phrase, which uses face in the sense of “outward appearances,” is modeled on the antonym lose face. [Late 1800s]
Idioms and Phrases with save face (2 of 2)
face