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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Face, n. Also: faice, feace, fece, fas, fais(e. [ME. face (c 1290), OF. face.]

1. The face of a person (or animal) …(a) a1400 Leg. S. v. 421.
He rafe his clathis & befte his face Ib. xviii. 427.
Befor the face Of ane edir c1420 Wynt. iv. 2495.
Fayre off fassowne and off fas … he wes Ib. v. 1452.
He hade a dochtyr … Off face fayre, and of fassown fyne c1475 Wall. viii. 830.
Ane other awkwart apon the face tuk he Ib. ix. 16.
Jupiter was in the Crabbis face c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 70.
I suld at fairis be found new faceis to se 1513 Doug. v. x. 46.
A hors … With bawsand face 1560 Rolland Seven S. 35.
He wryit his face away and his visage c1590 J. Stewart 44/31.
Quhyls vith teirs bebathe he vold his face(b) 1535 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 430.
I pray to God, Schir Wicair, that ye neuer se the faice of God 1548 Treas. Acc. IX. 222.
Ane elne of taffate to cover hir fais fra the sone a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxiv. 10.
Behauld ȝone faice that thow dois sie 1644 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. vi. 56.
Ane blinck of the fece of ane reconceilit God 1662 Lamont Diary 188.
He tooke a stone in his bannet, and brake all his feace

b. Expression of face; look; also, spirit, courage. 1375 Barb. xv. 538.
With rycht ane angry face c1500-c1512 Dunb. lvii. 23.
With ane humill cheir and face 1535 Stewart 31302.
With drawin swordis and with austrun face 1570 Sat. P. xiii. 209.
Fall to thame fraklie, to fecht thay haif na faces c1590 J. Stewart 47/162.
Quhair euir he verts his force And awfull face

c. A person. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 157.
Quhen euer thai dome, thai knaw na face, Bot doys justice efter the cas

d. transf. Of things. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 433.
As the new mone … Kythis quhilis her cleir face 1513 Doug. iii. x. 72.
Forgane the face Of the flude Plemyrion … Thar lyis ane iland 1545 Reg. Privy C. I. 10.
The new Inglis grote of Ingland callit the grote with the braid face 1572 J. Maitland Maitl. F. lxxxviii. 22.
Ay moir … burning is the beymis Off Phebus face 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 156 b.
Gif thou sall demand … quha in the face of the earth befor Caluin … teachit sik doctrine

2. In phrases. a. In the face, before his face. a1400 Leg. S. xix. 28.
Few durste luk hyme in the face c1420 Wynt. viii. 3500.
Thare fays in the face thai met a1500 Henr. Fab. 1913.
Befoir the face of wind c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 49.
Flattereris into menis facis 15.. Clar. i. 753.
They went abake richt fast befor his face 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 88.
At his cuming, the said Johne Johnestoun verifijt the samin in his faice

b. Face to, or for, face. c1420 Wynt. viii. 6261.
Thai ware face to face fychtand 1513 Doug. xii. viii. 49.
Thame [to] invaid that met hym face for face 1535 Stewart 27764.
The proud Pechtis … face for face stude in thair fais sicht a1570-86 Maitl. F. cii. 72.
[To] se God face to face In his eternale gloir

c. In (the) face of, before (church, court, parliament). Also before face of. 1482 Bamff Chart. 31.
The quhilk mariagh salbe … endit in the faise of haly kyrk 1527 Carnwath Barony Ct. 43.
The said Thomas … preifit sufficiently in face of court … that [etc.] 1542 Acts II. 415/2.
Thair was ane act … red in faice of parliament that the haly write may be vsit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7279.
I intend … To mary hir in face of halie kirk c1650 Spalding I. 229.
This complaynt wes … disput vigorrouslie be aduocatis, … quhilk is not vsit befor face of parliament

3. Appearance, semblance, form. Be or at the first face, at first sight. 1456 Hay I. 173/1.
As be the first face, it semys [etc.] Ib. 177/15.
As to the first face, it semys that he wrangis him nocht c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. 10.
The figurit speiche with faceis tua 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 131.
Thai began to interprete thir signis to ane vther face Id. Livy I. 228/17.
Howbeit this law apperit of litill force … in the first face 1564 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 47.
That all idolatrie … be abolished … , so that no uther face of religioun be permitted 1596 Dalr. I. 7/31.
Naithir schawes furth Britannie all that it has at the first face 1612 Conv. Burghs II. 371.
Beand desyrous to estableis the faice of ane kirk & ministrie in Campheir 1686 Ann. Banff II. 57.
If he had not the face of a congregation he would give them up again

4. A surface or side of an object. 1501 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 89.
He sall furnys ilk fute of the astler weill hewin on all faces for ij. d. the fute 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII. 44 b.
Ane stoupit bed and twa faces of langsadles