frontispiece
Americannoun
-
an illustrated leaf preceding the title page of a book.
-
Architecture. a façade, or a part or feature of a façade, often highlighted by ornamentation.
noun
-
an illustration facing the title page of a book
-
the principal façade of a building; front
-
a pediment, esp an ornamented one, over a door, window, etc
Etymology
Origin of frontispiece
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)
Explanation
A frontispiece is an illustration on one of a book's first pages, usually opposite the title page. Some editions of Winnie the Pooh include a map of the Hundred Acre Wood as a frontispiece. Children's books and classics are most likely to have a frontispiece, which is considered a bit old-fashioned today. Your beloved copy of The Wind in the Willows or a collectible edition of Little Women probably include a frontispiece — and the volumes in your Harry Potter collection might as well. In architecture, a frontispiece is something that frames or decorates the entrance to a building. What these two kinds of frontispieces have in common is being located in the front of something.
Vocabulary lists containing frontispiece
Book Words for Book Worms
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Room of One's Own
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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 ● Feb. 13, 2024
The book's frontispiece is a sketch of two women who remind her that "even in the worst conditions, Black women have looked up at the night sky and wondered."
From Salon ● Apr. 20, 2021
“Ready for an exciting journey?” asks the prominent typeface on the road map’s frontispiece.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2020
An ornate frontispiece creates visual interest above the front door.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2019
It was bound in dark brown tooled leather, and the frontispiece was a painting of a fairy woman, elegant and pale, wearing a beautiful golden gown.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
