[ad. OF. front-er in same sense, f. front FRONT sb.; it may however in some uses be an independent formation on the Eng. sb.]
1. intr. To have the front in a specified direction; to face, look. Const. on, to, towards, upon.
1533. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. li. 73. The french king … purueyed suffyciently for all the forteresses frontyng on Flanders.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, III. (Arb.), 88. Tarent … to which heunlye Lacinia fronteth.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 297. The Arabians call this countrey Suambiz, a countrey abounding in Cattell, and fronts upon another Nation of the Arabians called Aluzar, and betwixt these two people, there is ever a mortall warre and hatred.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 143. Having a few small Rooms fronting outward.
1762. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint., II. ii. 48. This room was erected … fronting westward to the privy-garden.
1864. Tennyson, Enoch Arden. Philip’s dwelling fronted on the street.
1894. Hall Caine, Manxman, III. iii. 134. The rooms fronted to Athol Street, but backed on to the churchyard of St. George’s.
† b. trans. To set the front of (a building) in a specified direction. Obs.
1665. J. Webb, Stone-Heng (1725), 105. Temples … should be so fronted, as that Travellers passing by might behold them.
a. 1817. T. Dwight, Trav. New Eng. (1821), II. 97. Mr. G. has erected a large elegant mansion, fronted towards the river.
2. trans. a. To have the front towards; to ‘face,’ stand opposite to.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., III. iii. 122. Like a gate of steele, Fronting the Sunne.
1696. trans. Du Mont’s Voy. Levant, 2. All the Houses that surrounded it were well built, especially that of the Jesuit’s which fronted the Bishop’s Palace.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, V. v. This enclosed place exactly fronted the foot of the bed.
1823. F. Clissold, Ascent of Mont Blanc, 11. Fronting us, rose the summit of Mont Blanc, more than 7000 feet above the height upon which we stood.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 109. The perspective picture which fronts the title-page represents a cotton factory.
b. Of a building: To have its front on the side of (a street, etc.).
1698. J. Fryer, A New Account of East-India and Persia, 38. Opposite to this, one [Gate] more stately fronts the High-street.
1741. Richardson, Pamela (1883), I. 323. This alcove fronts the longest gravel-walk in the garden.
1833. Act 3 & 4, Will. IV., c. 46 § 90. The proprietor or proprietors of any buildings fronting any of the streets.
1847. A. M. Gilliam, Trav. Mexico, 166. When the foundation of the church was laid, designed for a cathedral, it was to have fronted the Plaza.
3. To stand face to face with, meet face to face, look straight at, face, confront; esp. to face in defiance or hostility, present a bold front to, oppose. lit. and fig.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 55. Of Greeks thee first man with a gallant coompanye garded Fronted vs.
1596. Spenser, State Irel. Wks. (Globe), 660/1. Being of himselfe of soe base condition, hath through his owne hardiness lifted himselfe up to that height that he dare now to fronte princes, and make termes with greate potentates.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., I. iii. 59. Accost, is front her, boord her, woe her, assayle her.
c. 1618. Fletcher, Q. Corinth, IV. iii. Amazed … at your … impudence, That dare thus front us.
1697. Dryden, A Discourse on Epick Poetry, Prose Wks. 1800, III. 515. When Æneas and Turnus stood fronting each other before the altar, Turnus looked dejected, and his colour faded in his face, as if he desponded of the victory before the fight.
1701. W. Wotton, Hist. Rome, Marcus, iv. 65. Some flanked them, some fell upon the Rear, some fronted them directly.
1837. Hawthorne, Amer. Note-bks. (1883), 104. Here you fronted the ocean, looking at a sail.
1839. Carlyle, Chartism (1842), 98. Evil, once manfully fronted, ceases to be evil.
1852. Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. xvii. 222. Soldiers can be hired … to front death in its worst form.
1864. Kirk, Chas. Bold, I. i. 22. The brazen pride with which he fronted accusation and reproach.
b. said of things.
1602. W. Watson, Decacordon, 265. Would God such things … never had fronted our native shores!
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. ii. 61.
| Those Warres | |
| Which fronted mine owne peace. |
1637. Heywood, King & Loyal Subject, II. iv. Wks. 1874, VI. 26.
| No matter I am arm’d with innocence, | |
| And that dares front all danger. |
1873. Black, Pr. Thule, i. 6. At length, the boat had got well out from the network of islands, and fronted the broad waters of the Atlantic, the great plain of the western sea seemed already to have drawn around it the solemn mantle of the night.
4. To set face to face with, confront with.
1617. Collins, Def. Bp. Ely, II. ix. 351. The Cardinall had fronted him with one such false place out of Chrysostome.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Seditions (Arb.), 411. Which kinde of Persons, are … to be fronted, with some other, of the same Party, that may oppose them.
1853. Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. xxi. 275. Fronting his patron and his prince with the stern unpalatable truth of God.
5. To adorn in front; to furnish with a front. (So in comb. new-front.) Also, to face (with some specified material); = FACE v. 13.
1635. Davenant, Prince d’Amour, Wks. (1673), 396. The Scæme was discovered with a Village consisting of Alehouses and Tobacco shops, each fronted with a red Lettice.
1742. W. Cole, in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. 228. They have … new Fronted the east front.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), IV. 231. He new fronted his house in Piccadilly.
1772. J. G. W. De Brahm, Hist. Georgia (1849), 45. The Savannah Bay is nearly fronted with contiguous Wharfs.
1782. Cowper, Let., Wks. 1837, XV. 116. My green-house … is fronted with myrtles, and lined with mats.
a. 1817. T. Dwight, Trav. New Eng. (1821), II. 31. The Presbyterian church … is fronted with two towers.
1824. Ann. Reg., 87. The whole building was proposed to be fronted with stone.
† 6. To introduce (a tale, etc.) with (the mention of or reference to something); to preface. Obs.
1592. Greene, Art Conny Catch, III. 9. The wily Treacher … coyned such a smooth tale vnto them both, fronting it with the Gammon of Bacon and the Cheese sent from their maides Father.
1599. Broughton’s Lett., v. 15. You, adding gall to wormewood, and impudence to your slaunders, haue fronted your Libell with this inscription, To and against the Archbishop of Canterburie.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 109. Hippocrates did wel to front his Axiomaticall Experiments … with the grand Miscariages in the practice of Physitians.
a. 1732. T. Boston, Crook in Lot (1805), 73. Solomon, whom many do regard rather as a moral philosopher, than an inspired writer leading to Christ, fronts his writings, in the beginning of the Proverbs, with most express gospel.
b. To place in front as a frontispiece. Obs.–1
1609. Bp. W. Barlow, Answ. Nameless Cath., 305. Pindarus would haue in the beginning of a Treatise … some glorious personage to be fronted.
7. To be or stand in front of, to serve as a front to.
1591. Spenser, Vis. Bellay, ii.
| On high hills top I saw a stately frame, | |
| An hundred cubits high by iust assize, | |
| With hundreth pillours fronting faire the same. |
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., IV. v. 219. Yonder wals that pertly front your Towne … Must kisse their owne feet.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, v. She came to the lawn which fronted the fabric.
1845. Darwin, Voy. Nat., xiv. (1879), 296. The coast … is fronted by many breakers.
a. 1847. Mrs. Sherwood, Lady of Manor, II. x. 3. A … mansion … fronted by a garden abounding with fruits and flowers.
1884. Law Times Rep., LI. 228/1. The damage done to the sea wall fronting Curry Marsh Farm.
8. Chiefly Mil. † a. intr. To march in the front or first rank. Obs.–1
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., I. ii. 42. I … front but in that File Where others tell steps with me.
b. To turn the front or face in a specified direction; = FACE v. 9 b. Also, as word of command.
1635. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Banish’d Virg., 122. Upon this the third fronting to their flanckward spurr’d towards him.
1833. Regul. Instr. Cavalry, I. 14. He fronts to the left.
1847. Infantry Man. (1854), 5. Upon the word Front, if he has faced to the right, he fronts to the left.
c. To form a front or extended line.
1802. C. James, Milit. Dict., s.v. When the battalion is marching by files, or is put through its right or left facings, as, To the Right, Face, To the Left, Face, the word front is always practised to restore it to its natural situation in line.
1808. Pike, Sources Mississ., III. (1810), 258. The Spanish troops at this place were remarkably polite, always fronting and saluting when I passed.
1883. Army Corps Orders, in Standard, 22 March, 3/2. It will halt, front, and march past.
d. To front about: to turn round so as to face in another direction.
1886. Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll, 23. Mr. H. … fronted about with an air of defiance.
e. trans. (causatively, from Front! as a word of command): To cause to form a front or line.
1796. Instr. & Reg. Cavalry (1813), 74. He then Halts, fronts! it, and dresses and closes it to its pivot marker on the line.
1832. Prop. Regul. Instr. Cavalry, II. 14. In the movement of Threes to a flank, the squadron should occupy but little more ground than when fronted.
1859. F. A. Griffiths, The Artillerist’s Manual (1862), 25. Each company in succession will be halted, and fronted, and then brought up into line, as soon as its front is clear.
† 9. (See quot.) Obs.
1530. Palsgr., 559/1. I fronte up, as a woman dothe the heare of her heed with a fyllet. Je effronte. I wene you be bydden to some bridale to daye, you be so well fronted up.
10. Sc. and dial. (See quots.)
1808–18. Jamieson, To front, applied to meat, when it swells in boiling.
1887. Darlington, Folk-speech S. Cheshire, Gloss., Front.… Of tender meat which swells in cooking; of meal which swells under boiling water; of the full feeling supervening after a hearty meal, &c.
