frontispiece

[ fruhn-tis-pees, fron- ]

noun

1. an illustrated leaf preceding the title page of a book.
2. Architecture. a façade, or a part or feature of a façade, often highlighted by ornamentation.

frontispiece

/ ˈfrʌntɪsˌpiːs /

noun

1. an illustration facing the title page of a book
2. the principal façade of a building; front
3. a pediment, esp an ornamented one, over a door, window, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of frontispiece¹

1590–1600; alteration (conformed to piece ) of earlier frontispice < French < Medieval Latin frontispicium, equivalent to Latin fronti- front + -spicium (combining form representing specere to look at)

Word History and Origins

Origin of frontispiece¹

C16 frontispice , from French, from Late Latin frontispicium façade, inspection of the forehead, from Latin frōns forehead + specere to look at; influenced by piece

Example Sentences

This research will be featured as a frontispiece in the upcoming issue of Advanced Materials and has secured both domestic and international patents.

From Science Daily

Ms. Donahue admitted being a bit crestfallen to have parted with “Ramona,” a frontispiece illustration that was part of a four-image set Wyeth contributed to a 1939 edition of the Helen Hunt Jackson novel of the same name.

From New York Times

After all, even Martin Droeshout’s frontispiece portrait for the First Folio shows a face that looks, to some eyes, like a mask.

From Washington Post

One in her “Frontispiece” series, all made on found book pages, is a grid of color swatches, each tied to a feeling such as “fear” and “pure affection.”

From Washington Post

Recast in vivid color, the frontispiece is enlarged to life-size scale, swapping out a generic female face for a specific one.

From Los Angeles Times