front end

[ fruhnt-end ]

/ ˈfrʌnt ˈɛnd /

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noun

the front part of something:The frame, front end, and handlebars are all constructed from alloy tubing.

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.

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?

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also front-end .

Origin of front end

First recorded in 1670–80

Words nearby front end

front dive, front door, front-drive, Frontenac, Frontenac et Palluau, front end, front-end load, front-end loader, front-end processor, frontenis, fronter

Other definitions for front end (2 of 2)

front-end

[ fruhnt-end ]

/ ˈfrʌntˌɛnd /

adjective

being or relating to the front part of something:The vehicle had significant front-end damage and a smashed windshield.

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.

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.

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.

Origin of front-end

First recorded in 1935–40, in reference to electronics

How to use front end in a sentence

“I think all everyone is looking for on the front end of this is some transparency without having to fight for it,” she said.
Tea Party Strikes Out Against the Atlanta Braves|Patricia Murphy|November 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On the same theory, Obama needs to want to learn about how websites work on the front end and back end.
Can Obama Change?|Michael Tomasky|November 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And we realized that attention is the front end of processing.
Junior Seau Suicide Shows How Little We Know About Head Trauma|Casey Schwartz|May 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
As a result, we are at the front end of a DIY revolution unlike anything the world has yet seen.
The World Is Getting Better, Argues New Book, ‘Abundance’|Sam Harris|February 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST

To customers, the front end and the back end of the IT infrastructure are inseparable.
Why PCs Still Matter|Kirk Schell, Executive Director, Dell|December 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
People came straggling down the sidewalk—not many, for few had business with the front end of the waiting trains.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
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.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
Soon the whole front end of the hotel collapsed, sending up a fierce cloud of smoke, ashes, and sparks.
The Rival Campers|Ruel Perley Smith
There are twenty-two men on it, thirteen at the front end, and nine at the back end.
Rollo on the Rhine|Jacob Abbott
One is directly in the front end, through which my telescope will look.
Pharaoh's Broker|Ellsworth Douglass

British Dictionary definitions for front end

front-end

adjective

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

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