face-off

[ feys-awf, -of ]
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nounIce Hockey.
  1. the act of facing the puck, as at the start of a game or period.

  2. an open confrontation.

Origin of face-off

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase face off

Words Nearby face-off

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use face-off in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for face-off

face-off

noun
  1. ice hockey the method of starting a game, in which the referee drops the puck, etc between two opposing players

  2. a confrontation

verbface off (adverb)
  1. to start play by (a face-off)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012