front end

¹

[ fruhnt end ]

noun

1. the front part of something:

   The frame, front end, and handlebars are all constructed from alloy tubing.

2. the earlier part of a process or span of time:

   Faculty members hope to be included at the front end of these new initiatives, rather than only in the final implementation.

3. Sometimes front·end. Computers. the parts of a computer program, website, system, network, etc., that the user can see or directly interact with:

   Our simple front end is designed so customers and users can easily navigate toward the information and products you want them to see.

   What front end do you use for your point-of-sale system?

4. the part of an organization or process that operates in the foreground or in the public view:

   Working the front end at a grocery store I did everything from cashier to fetching carts from the parking lot.

front-end

²

[ fruhnt-end ]

adjective

1. being or relating to the front part of something:

   The vehicle had significant front-end damage and a smashed windshield.

2. happening or (of costs) incurred earlier in a process or in a span of time:

   One of the real problems with solar energy is the front-end cost.

   The time you invest in front-end planning will pay off in the later stages of the project.

3. Also front·end. Computers. being or relating to those parts of a computer program, website, system, network, etc., that the user can see or directly interact with:

   Changes in the system architecture allowed for a much simpler front-end interface.

   I’ve been teaching website design and front-end development for about six years.

4. being or relating to the part of an organization or process that operates in the foreground or in the public view:

   In my last job, I oversaw front-end operations and supervised up to 20 cashiers and baggers.

front-end

adjective

1. (of money, costs, etc) required or incurred in advance of a project in order to get it under way

Word History and Origins

Origin of front end¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Origin of front end²

First recorded in 1935–40, in reference to electronics

Example Sentences

“I think all everyone is looking for on the front end of this is some transparency without having to fight for it,” she said.

From The Daily Beast

On the same theory, Obama needs to want to learn about how websites work on the front end and back end.

From The Daily Beast

And we realized that attention is the front end of processing.

From The Daily Beast

As a result, we are at the front end of a DIY revolution unlike anything the world has yet seen.

From The Daily Beast

To customers, the front end and the back end of the IT infrastructure are inseparable.

From The Daily Beast

People came straggling down the sidewalk—not many, for few had business with the front end of the waiting trains.

From Project Gutenberg

They are cut on the splay so that the front end is half the width of a header and one side half the length of the brick.

From Project Gutenberg

Soon the whole front end of the hotel collapsed, sending up a fierce cloud of smoke, ashes, and sparks.

From Project Gutenberg

There are twenty-two men on it, thirteen at the front end, and nine at the back end.

From Project Gutenberg

One is directly in the front end, through which my telescope will look.

From Project Gutenberg