Now rare. [a. F. facture, ad. L. factūra, f. facĕre to make. The popular Fr. form is faiture: see FEATURE.]
1. The action or process of making (a thing). Cf. manufacture.
1580. Baret, Alv., M 50. The facture, or making of a thing.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. 41. The facture or framing of the inward parts.
1661. Cowley, Prop. Adv. Exp. Philos., ii. Professors Resident shall be bound to study and teach … the Facture of all Merchandizes.
1671. Maynwaring, Anc. & Mod. Pract. Physick, 15. There is no other way of progress … but this of preparation and manual facture.
1888. Whistler, in The Saturday Review, LXV. 26 May, 621/2. There arose a new class, who discovered the cheap, and foresaw fortune in the facture of the sham.
b. The result of the action or process; the thing made; creation.
1647. J. Mayer, Comm. Eph., ii. 10. We are his facture, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
2. The manner or style of making (a thing); construction, make; workmanship.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., l. Bountee, richesse, and wommanly facture.
1616. Chapman, Homer’s Hymns, To Vulcan (1858), 109.
| Praise Vulcan, now Muse; whom Fame gives the prize | |
| For depth and facture of all forge-devise. |
1860. Reade, Cloister & H., I. 73. I thought not all the goldsmiths on earth had so much gold, silver, jewels, and craft of design and facture.
1883. The Saturday Review, LVI. 24 Nov., 667/1. The facture [of a literary work] of Mr. Lewis Morris (of Penbryn) has been generally creditable, and such as to occasion wonder sometimes that he chose to confine himself to the part of popularizer.
ǁ 3. Comm. = INVOICE. A Fr. sense: perh. never used in Eng.
1858. in Simmonds, Dict. Trade.
1864. in Webster.
