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facet

[fas-it]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR facet ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

one of the small, polished plane surfaces of a cut gem.

a similar surface cut on a fragment of rock by the action of water, windblown sand, etc.

aspect; phase: They carefully examined every facet of the argument.

Architecture. any of the faces of a column cut in a polygonal form.

Zoology. one of the corneal lenses of a compound arthropod eye.

Anatomy. a small, smooth, flat area on a hard surface, especially on a bone.

Dentistry. a small, highly burnished area, usually on the enamel surface of a tooth, produced by abrasion between opposing teeth in chewing.

verb (used with object), fac·et·ed, fac·et·ing or (especially British) fac·et·ted, fac·et·ting.

to cut facets on.

Origin of facet

First recorded in 1615–25, facet is from the French word facette little face. See face, -et

Related formsun·fac·et·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for facets

angle, level, appearance, slant, character, feature, plane, hand, twist, phase, switch, part, obverse, front, face, side

Examples from the Web for facets

Contemporary Examples of facets

The religion shaped all facets of life: art, medicine, literature, and even dynastic politics.
The Buddhist Business of Poaching Animals for Good Karma
Brendon Hong
December 28, 2014
Luqman explained that they represented the sun shining down on Earth, facets mimicking rays of light.
Fighting Back With Faith: Inside the Yezidis’ Iraqi Temple
Michael Luongo
August 21, 2014
This warped ideology, Bayor argues, trickled down into all facets of American immigration policy.
Ellis Island’s Doubled-Edged Legacy
J.P. O’Malley
May 25, 2014
The memoir will highlight all facets of Westwood's career, and will include commentary by family and friends.
Isabel Marant Lands at H&M; Burberry Breaks $1 Billion
The Fashion Beast Team
November 14, 2013
As a kid he was bullied “every day, in all forms and facets.”
The Bully Waging War Against Bullies
Lizzie Crocker
October 10, 2013

Historical Examples of facets

Ideally, education addresses all the facets of the human being.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
She held it raised so for a moment, watching the play of light from the facets.
Flamsted quarries
Mary E. Waller
He moved the finger so that the light flashed from the facets of the stone.
In Pawn
Ellis Parker Butler
There was a lake on the facets of whose ripples the sunlight danced.
When Egypt Went Broke
Holman Day
Template or TimpletOne of the four facets that surround a cut gem.
Time Telling through the Ages
Harry Chase Brearley

British Dictionary definitions for facets

facet

noun

any of the surfaces of a cut gemstone

an aspect or phase, as of a subject or personality

architect the raised surface between the flutes of a column

any of the lenses that make up the compound eye of an insect or other arthropod

anatomy any small smooth area on a hard surface, as on a bone

verb -ets, -eting, -eted, -ets, -etting or -etted

(tr) to cut facets in (a gemstone)

Word Origin for facet

C17: from French facette a little face

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

Word Origin and History for facets

facet

n.

1620s, from French facette (12c., Old French facete), diminutive of face (see face (n.)). The diamond-cutting sense is the original one. Related: Faceted; facets.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

facets in Medicine

facet

[făs′ĭt]

n.

A small smooth area on a bone or other firm structure.

A worn spot on a tooth, produced by chewing or grinding.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.