fac⋅et
[fas-it] 
noun, verb, -et⋅ed, -et⋅ing or (especially British
) -et⋅ted, -et⋅ting.| 1. | one of the small, polished plane surfaces of a cut gem. |
| 2. | a similar surface cut on a fragment of rock by the action of water, windblown sand, etc. |
| 3. | aspect; phase: They carefully examined every facet of the argument. |
| 4. | Architecture. any of the faces of a column cut in a polygonal form. |
| 5. | Zoology. one of the corneal lenses of a compound arthropod eye. |
| 6. | Anatomy. a small, smooth, flat area on a hard surface, esp. on a bone. |
| 7. | Dentistry. a small, highly burnished area, usually on the enamel surface of a tooth, produced by abrasion between opposing teeth in chewing. |
| 8. | to cut facets on. |
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| fac·et (fās'ĭt) n.
[French facette, from Old French, diminutive of face, face; see face.] fac'et·ed, fac'et·ted adj. |
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Facet
Fac"et\, n. [F. facette, dim. of face face. See Face.]1. A little face; a small, plane surface; as, the facets of a diamond. [Written also facette.] 2. (Anat.) A smooth circumscribed surface; as, the articular facet of a bone. 3. (Arch.) The narrow plane surface between flutings of a column. 4. (Zo["o]l.) One of the numerous small eyes which make up the compound eyes of insects and crustaceans.Cite This Source
facet
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Main Entry: fac·et
Pronunciation: 'fas-&t
Function: noun
: a smooth flat or nearly flat circumscribed anatomical surface
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facet fac·et (fās'ĭt)
n.
- A small smooth area on a bone or other firm structure.
- A worn spot on a tooth, produced by chewing or grinding.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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facet
flat, polished surface on a cut gemstone, usually with three or four sides. The widest part of a faceted stone is the girdle; the girdle lies on a plane that separates the crown, the stone's upper portion, from the pavilion, the stone's base. The large facet in the crown parallel to the girdle is the table; the very small one in the pavilion also parallel to the girdle is the culet. Certain stones, such as mogul cut diamonds (egg-shaped jewels faceted without regard for symmetry or brilliancy) or drop cut stones, have neither a girdle, a crown, nor a pavilion. In others, the crown and the pavilion are identical-e.g., in baguette cut stones.
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