# frontispiece

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfɹʌn.tɪsˌpiːs/ · frequency rank #62,910

## Definitions
1. An illustration that is on the page before the title page of a book, a section of one, or a magazine.
2. The title page of a book.
3. A façade, especially an ornamental one.
4. A small ornamental pediment, especially at the top of a window or door.
5. A person's face.

## Etymology
From Middle French frontispice, from Italian frontespizio or Medieval Latin frontispicium, from Latin frōns (“forehead”, oblique stem in front-) + -spic- (“to watch”, combining form of speciō) + -ium. Spelling altered due to folk etymology, influenced by piece.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/frontispiece