frʌnt n.,
adj., & v. --n. 1
the side or
part normally nearer or
towards the
spectator or the
direction of
motion (the front of the
car; the front of the
chair; the front of the mouth). 2
any face of a
building,
esp.
that of the main entrance. 3
Mil. a the
foremost line or part of an
army etc. b line of
battle. c the part of the ground towards a real or
imaginary enemy. d a
scene of
actual fighting (go to the front). e the direction in
which a formed line faces (change front). 4 a a
sector of
activity regarded as resembling a
military front. b an organized
political group. 5 a
demeanour,
bearing (show a
bold front). b
outward appearance. 6 a
forward or
conspicuous position (come to the front). 7 a a bluff. b a
pretext. 8 a
person etc.
serving to
cover subversive or
illegal activities. 9 (prec. by the) the
promenade of a
seaside resort. 10 Meteorol. the forward
edge of an advancing mass of
cold or
warm air. 11 (prec. by the) the
auditorium of a
theatre. 12 a a face. b
poet. or rhet. a
forehead. 13 a the
breast of a man's
shirt. b a
false shirt-front. 14 impudence. --attrib.adj. 1 of the front. 2 situated in front. 3 Phonet. formed at the front of the
mouth. --v. 1 intr. (foll. by
on,
to, towards, upon)
have the front
facing or directed. 2 intr. (foll. by for) sl.
act as a front or cover
for. 3 tr.
furnish with a front (fronted with stone). 4 tr. lead (a band). 5 tr. a
stand opposite to, front towards. b have
its front on the side of (a
street etc.). 6 tr.
archaic confront, meet,
oppose. øfront
bench Brit. the foremost seats in
Parliament, occupied by leading members of the
government and opposition. front-bencher Brit.
such a
member. front
door 1 the
chief entrance of a
house. 2 a chief
means of
approach or
access to a
place,
situation, etc. front line Mil. =
sense 3 of n. front-line States countries in
Southern Africa bordering on and opposed to
South Africa. front
man a person
acting as a front or cover. front
matter Printing the title-page,
preface, etc. preceding the
text proper. front
office a main office, esp.
police headquarters. front page the
first page of a
newspaper, esp. as containing
important or
remarkable news. front passage colloq. the
vagina. front
runner 1 the
contestant most likely to
succeed. 2 an
athlete or
horse running best when in the lead. in front 1 in an advanced position. 2 facing the spectator. in front of 1
ahead of, in
advance of. 2 in the
presence of, confronting. on the front
burner see BURNER. øøfrontless adj. frontward adj. & adv. frontwards adv. [ME f. OF front (n.), fronter (v.) f. L frons frontis]
