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front¹ Definition

front (frunt)

noun

  1. Now Rare
    1. the forehead
    2. the face; countenance
    1. attitude or appearance, as of the face, indicating state of mind; external behavior when facing a problem, etc. to put on a bold front
    2. Informal an appearance, usually pretended or assumed, of social standing, wealth, etc.
  3. Rare impudence; effrontery
  4. the part of something that faces forward or is regarded as facing forward; most important side; forepart
  5. the first part; beginning toward the front of the book
  6. the place or position directly before a person or thing
  7. a forward or leading position or situation
  8. ☆ the first available bellhop or page, as in a hotel: generally used as a call
  9. the land bordering a lake, ocean, street, etc.
  10. Brit. a promenade along a body of water
  11. the advanced line, or the whole area, of contact between opposing sides in warfare; combat zone
  12. a specified area of activity the home front, the political front
  13. a broad movement in which different groups are united for the achievement of certain common political or social aims
  14. ☆ a person who serves as a public representative of a business, group, etc., usually because of his or her prestige
  15. ☆ a person or group used to cover or obscure the activity or objectives of another, controlling person or group
  16. a stiff shirt bosom, worn with formal clothes
  17. Archit. a face of a building; esp., the face with the principal entrance
  18. Meteorol. the boundary between two air masses of different density and temperature

Etymology: ME < OFr < L frons (gen. frontis), forehead, front < IE *bhren-, to project > OE brant, steep, high

adjective

  1. at, to, in, on, or of the front
  2. Phonet. articulated with the tongue toward the front of the mouth: said of certain vowels, as (i) in bid

transitive verb

  1. to face; be opposite to
  2. to be before in place
  3. to meet; confront
  4. to defy; oppose
  5. to supply or serve as a front, or facing, of
  6. to be the leader or best-known member of (a musical band)

intransitive verb

  1. to face in a certain direction a castle fronting on the sea
  2. ☆ to act as a front (senses & ): with for

front¹ Idioms

in front of

before; in a position ahead of

front² Definition

front

frontispiece

front Synonyms

front

modif.

fore, forward, frontal, foremost, head, headmost, leading, first, anterior, in the foreground.

Antonyms rear*, back*, hindmost.

front Synonyms

front

n.

  1. The forward part or surface

    frontage, exterior, forepart, anterior, obverse, façade, bow, foreground, face, head, breast, frontal area, beginning.

    Antonyms posterior, back, rear.

  2. The fighting line

    front line, van, no man's land, advance position, line of battle, vanguard, outpost, advance guard, firing line.

  3. The appearance one presents before others

    mien, carriage, bearing, port, demeanor, aspect, countenance, face, presence, expression, figure, exterior.

  4. *Something assumed for show

    façade, false front, mask, pretense, exterior, display, window dressing*; see also appearance 2, pose.

  5. A person or group used to obscure activities

    blind, cover, camouflage; see camouflage 1, disguise.

in front of

before, preceding, leading; see ahead 2.

front Synonyms

front

v.

border, look out on, overlook; see face 4.

front Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • crowd: They weren't on a stage, they were just playing in front of a crowd, it was brilliant.
  • audience: A ' geek ' used to mean someone who bit the heads off living chickens in front of an audience.
  • camera: Active Gallery Amiga Active goes in front of the camera for the latest Mark Forbes production.
  • mirror: I don't need to because I practice in front of the mirror but just wondered.
  • queue: People scrabbling for food but not strong enough to get to the front of the queue.
  • telly: All this because we eat pizza in front of the telly?

Converse of object

unite: How can we achieve a ' united front ' ?

Adjective modifier

  • eastern: This was portrayed on film as a failing of generals on the eastern front not showing enough commitment to the Nazi cause.
  • cold: A cold air front is the place where a cold air mass replaces a warm air mass.
  • northern: The troops parachuted into northern Iraq overnight to open a northern front against Saddam Hussein's forces.
  • warm: If a warm front passed overhead when you were standing outside, then you would feel the air cooling down.

Modifies a noun

  • door: Even the outside of houses can be quite bright; lilac front doors or bright yellow window frames are not unusual.
  • row: I am in Roger Brown's photo, part 4, sitting on the ground in the front row, 5 from the end.
  • wheel: Well not exactly stolen, more ' taken by some opportunistic git ' : my front wheel from the Thorn.
  • page: I faxed our story for the next day's front page to Robert Jones.
  • panel: A front panel REC control allows you to record incoming signals, too!
  • elevation: Like most lock cottages, the front elevation, above, was lower than that to the rear, left.

Noun used with modifier

  • sea: Parking: Close by on the sea front or 2 minutes walk to the large hilltop car park behind the Chateau.
  • drawer: The Arran kitchen features double molded panel doors and lovely deep drawer fronts all in solid pine with matching solid pine handles.
  • shop: As four large shops fronts replaced six smaller old ones, the numbers 53 and 54 High Street disappeared for ever in the process.