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frontispiece

 - 3 dictionary results

fron⋅tis⋅piece

  [fruhn-tis-pees, fron-]
Use frontispiece in a Sentence
–noun
1. an illustrated leaf preceding the title page of a book.
2. Architecture. a façade, or a part or feature of a façade, often highlighted by ornamentation.
Origin:
1590–1600; alter. (conformed to piece ) of earlier frontispice < F < ML frontispicium, equiv. to L fronti- front + -spicium (comb. form repr. specere to look at)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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fron·tis·piece   (frŭn'tĭ-spēs')   
n.  

  1. An illustration that faces or immediately precedes the title page of a book, book section, or magazine.

  2. Architecture

    1. A façade, especially an ornamental façade.

    2. A small ornamental pediment, as on top of a door or window.

  3. Archaic A title page.


[Alteration (influenced by piece) of French frontispice, from Late Latin frontispicium, façade of a building : Latin frontis, genitive of frōns, forehead, front + Latin specere, to look at; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

frontispiece 
1597, "decorated entrance of a building," from M.Fr. frontispice, probably from It. frontespizio and L.L. frontispicium "facade," originally "a view of the forehead, judgment of character through facial features," from L. frons (gen. frontis) "forehead" + specere "to look at" (see scope (1)). Sense of "illustration facing a book's title page" first recorded 1682.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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