Word Study
frontal
CIDE DICTIONARY
frontal, a. [Cf. F. frontal.].
Belonging to the front part; being in front [1913 Webster]
frontal, n. [F. frontal, fronteau, OF. Frontel, frontal, L. frontale an ornament for the forehead, frontlet. See Front.].
- Something worn on the forehead or face; a frontlet [1913 Webster]
- A little pediment over a door or window. [1913 Webster]
- A movable, decorative member in metal, carved wood, or, commonly, in rich stuff or in embroidery, covering the front of the altar. Frontals are usually changed according to the different ceremonies. [1913 Webster]
- A medicament or application for the forehead. Quincy. [1913 Webster]
- The frontal bone, or one of the two frontal bones, of the cranium. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
frontal, adj.
1 a of, at, or on the front (a frontal attack). b of the front as seen by an onlooker (a frontal view).
2 of the forehead or front part of the skull (frontal bone).
1 a of, at, or on the front (a frontal attack). b of the front as seen by an onlooker (a frontal view).
2 of the forehead or front part of the skull (frontal bone).
Derivative
frontally adv.
frontal, n.
1 a covering for the front of an altar.
2 the fa{ccedil}ade of a building.
1 a covering for the front of an altar.
2 the fa{ccedil}ade of a building.
Etymology
ME f. OF frontel f. L frontale (as FRONT)
THESAURUS
frontal
Communion table, altar, altar carpet, altar desk, altar facing, altar of prothesis, altar rail, altar side, altar slab, altar stair, altar stone, altarpiece, ancona, anterior, anteriority, bold front, bomos, brave face, brave front, chancel table, chief, credence, display, eschara, facade, face, facet, facia, first, fore, forefront, foreground, forehand, foreland, foremost, forepart, forequarter, foreside, foreword, forward, front, front elevation, front man, front matter, front page, front view, frontage, frontier, frontispiece, gradin, head, heading, headmost, hestia, holy table, lap, leading, mensal, missal stand, obverse, predella, preface, prefix, primary, prime, priority, proscenium, prothesis, retable, retablo, rood altar, scrobis, superaltar, window dressingROGET THESAURUS
frontal
Exteriority
N exteriority, outside, exterior, surface, superficies, skin, superstratum, disk, disc, face, facet, extrados, excentricity, eccentricity, circumjacence, exterior, external, outer most, outward, outlying, outside, outdoor, round about, extramural, extralimitary, extramundane, superficial, skin-deep, frontal, discoid, extraregarding, excentric, eccentric, outstanding, extrinsic, ecdemic, exomorphic, externally, out, with out, over, outwards, ab extra, out of doors, extra muros, in the open air, sub Jove, sub dio, a la belle etoile, al fresco.Front
N front, fore, forepart, foreground, face, disk, disc, frontage, facade, proscenium, facia, frontispiece, anteriority, obverse (of a medal or coin), fore rank, front rank, van, vanguard, advanced guard, outpost, first line, scout, brow, forehead, visage, physiognomy, phiz, countenance, mut, rostrum, beak, bow, stem, prow, prore, jib, pioneer, metoposcopy, fore, anterior, front, frontal, before, in front, in the van, in advance, ahead, right ahead, forehead, foremost, in the foreground, in the lee of, before one's face, before one's eyes, face to face, vis-a-vis, front a front, formosa muta commendatio est, frons est animi janua, Human face divine, imago animi vultus est indices oculi, sea of upturned faces.For further exploring for "frontal" in Webster Dictionary Online