faceplate

American  

[feys-pleyt] / ˈfeɪsˌpleɪt /

noun

1. (on a lathe) a perforated plate, mounted on the live spindle, to which the work is attached.

2. the part of a protective headpiece, as a diver's or astronaut's helmet, that covers the upper portion of the face, often of transparent material and sometimes movable.

3. Also called face.  Electronics. the glass front of a cathode ray tube upon which the image is displayed.

4. a protective plate, as one surrounding an electric outlet or light switch.

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faceplate British  

/ ˈfeɪsˌpleɪt /

noun

1. a perforated circular metal plate that can be attached to the headstock of a lathe in order to hold flat or irregularly shaped workpieces

2. Also called: surface plate.  a flat rigid plate used to check the flatness and squareness of the faces of a component

3. the part of a cathode-ray tube carrying the phosphor screen

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Etymology

Origin of faceplate

First recorded in 1835–45; face + plate ¹

Example Sentences

“The divers can put their hands on that faceplate, and they can’t even see their hands,” said Donald Gibbons, an instructor with Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical Centers.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 29, 2024

His gaze flicked to the temperature gauge on his faceplate; 94 degrees Celsius.

From Slate • Sep. 30, 2023

Take the example from Thurb, an illustrator from Caen, France, delivering a very pop art, graffiti style for a faceplate.

From Washington Times • Nov. 26, 2022

The controller offers a purple-and-pink faceplate with a “Terminator”-style skull on the left handle; red action and directional buttons; steel-grey top bumpers and thumbsticks; and black rubberized grips.

From Washington Times • Nov. 26, 2022

Air flowed over the faceplate and cleared it of fog.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston