Forms: 5 frounter(e, -teere, -tier, -tor, fron-, frowntere, 5–6 frontyer, 5–7 fronter, 6 frontour, 6–7 frontire, 6– frontier. Also FRONTURE (obs.). [a. OF. frontier masc., frontiere fem. (mod.Fr. frontière), f. front FRONT sb. Cf. Pr. fronteira forehead, It. frontiera, Sp. frontera, Pg. fronteira frontier.]
A. sb.
† 1. The front side; the forepart. Obs.
c. 1430. Lygd., Min. Poems (Percy), 16. Att ffrountor of thees welles clere, Ther whas a scripture commendyng ther lycour.
1538. Leland, Itin., I. 107. The fronter of which Ward in the entering is exceeding stronge with Toures and Portecoleces.
1551. R. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., II. (1895), 116. The forefrontes or frontiers of the ii corners [of the haven] … be very … daungerous.
† b. The side that fronts in a specified direction. Obs.–1
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 95. The principal wife placeth her court on the West frontier.
† c. The forehead. Obs. rare–1.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., I. (1877), 67. Their bolstred heir … standeth crested round about their frontiers.
† 2. = FRONTLET 4. Obs.
1440. in Eng. Ch. Furniture (Peacock, 1866), 182. Item syx alter towelles of lynnen cloth the first with a frounter pailed read white and black … the 5th with a frountier of burde Alisander.
† 3. The front line or foremost part of an army. Hence ‘attack, resistance’ in phr. to make frontier (tr. OF. faire frontière). Obs.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2898. Frykis one the frowntere welle a fyve hundreth.
1412–20. Lydgate, Chronicle of Troy, I. ix. (1555).
| In the frounter [1513, frountell] many manly man, | |
| With sharpe speres first together ran. |
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cclv. 378. He sent them into Poicters to kepe the citie, and to make fronter there agaynst the frenchemen.
4. sing. and pl. The part of a country which fronts or faces another country; the marches; the border or extremity conterminous with that of another.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. xxx. 80. To kepe the frounters of the reame fro perille of enemyes.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., III. xxii. 215. The fronteres of Caleys.
1540. Act 32 Hen. VIII., c. 48. On ye east partes and frontours of this his realm.
1601. R. Johnson, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc., 171. Vpon another frontire lie the Spaniards.
1648. Gage, West Ind., xx. 157. After the two daies we drew neer unto the Heathens Frontiers.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 129, ¶ 8. A Country Church upon the Frontiers of Cornwall.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., III. 126. It might be dangerous to weaken the defence of the frontier.
1838. Lytton, Calderon, i. 64. He suddenly received an order to join the army on the frontiers.
1853. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk. (1873), II. I. ii. 84. He found a difficulty in defending his frontier towards Persia.
transf. and fig. 1672–3. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 39. Those Churches which are seated nearer upon the Frontire of Popery, did naturally and well if they took Alarm at the March.
1738. Tom King’s, or Humours Cov. Garden, 3. A spacious Plain … Whose large Frontiers with Pallisados bound From Trivia’s Filth inshrines the hallow’d Ground.
1768. W. Wilkie, Rake & Hermit, 65. Faith in the utmost frontier stands.
1839. Murchison, Silur. Syst., I. xxvii. 350. Along this portion of their frontier, the Upper Silurian Rocks in the form of hard quartzose sandstones [etc.].
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 150. A few seditious persons … had gone very near to the frontier of treason.
1870. Max Müller, Introduction to the Science of Religion (1873), 391. Even in this more general study of mankind, the frontiers of language and race ought never to disappear.
b. U.S. ‘That part of a country which forms the border of its settled or inhabited regions: as (before the settlement of the Pacific coast), the western frontier of the United States’ (Cent. Dict.).
1870. Emerson, Soc. & Solit., Civiliz., Wks. (Bohn), III. 8. ’Tis wonderful how soon a piano gets into a log-hut on the frontier.
† 5. A fortress on the frontier; a frontier town.
1604. Shaks., Ham. (Qo. 2), IV. iv. 16. Goes it against the maine of Poland, sir, Or for some frontire?
1641. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 22. Gorcum, a very strong and considerable frontier.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 222. It [Baldivia] was a fortification, and a frontier.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 721. [Natchitoches in Louisiana] was a frontier on the Spanish settlements.
† b. A barrier against attack. Obs.
1589. Ive, Fortif., 1. A Forte not placed where it were needefull, might skantly be accompted for frontier.
1648. Gage, West Ind., xv. 105. This Province … which is a Frontier against those Heathens.
1664. Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1872–5, II. 122. His Navies do carry a moveable Frontire to all the habitable world.
1690. W. Edmundson, Jrnl. (1715), 133. Three Hundred Firelocks, as a Frontier, to intercept the English Soldiers.
† 6. A settler on the frontier; a frontier-man.
1677. W. Hubbard, Narrative, 51. The Frontiers discerning Indians in the edge of the Swamp, fired immediately upon them.
B. adj.
1. Of or belonging to the frontier of a country; situated on the frontier, bordering. Const. to.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cxiii. 135. The erle … departed his people into dyuers garysons, to kepe fronter warre.
1530. Palsgr., 34. The dyuersite of pronuncyacion of the other frontier countreys.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 43. Divers frontier Cities and Castles.
1647. W. Browne, trans. Polexander, III. 87. A desert which is frontire betweene Guinea and Senega.
a. 1648. Ld. Herbert, Life (1770), 165. They took Post Horses, and held their way towards Bayone, a City frontier to Spain.
1667. M1Lton, P. L., I. 406. Dreaded through … Gaza’s frontier bounds.
1701. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., II. 20. Leaving that most ffronter part … Denuded of … Defence.
1756. G. Washington, Lett., Writ. 1889, I. 360. The intent of sending men hither was to protect the frontier inhabitants.
1827. J. F. Cooper, The Prairie, I. xiv. 209. If you come a foot nigher, you shall have frontier punishment.
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos, I. xxxiii. 281. A few of the frontier castles had fallen into his [Llewellyn’s] hands, and the north Welsh esteemed such captures so precious, that the saying was, that the father who had just lost his only son should devote to rejoicing the day of their seizure.
† 2. Fronting; opposite. Obs.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., 106. With readie minds … they breake through the frontier bankes over-against them.
