facies

[ fey-shee-eez, -sheez ]

/ ˈfeɪ ʃiˌiz, -ʃiz /

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noun, plural fa·ci·es.

general appearance, as of an animal or vegetable group.

Geology. the appearance and characteristics of a sedimentary deposit, especially as they reflect the conditions and environment of deposition and serve to distinguish the deposit from contiguous deposits.Compare metamorphic facies.

Medicine/Medical. a facial expression characteristic of a disease or pathological condition.

Archaeology. a distinctive phase of a prehistoric cultural tradition.

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Origin of facies

1350–1400, for an earlier sense; Middle English <Latin: form, figure, appearance, face, akin to facere to make

OTHER WORDS FROM facies

sub·fa·ci·es, noun, plural sub·fa·ci·es.

Words nearby facies

facialist, facial masculinization surgery, facial nerve, facial tissue, -facient, facies, facile, facile princeps, facilis descensus Averno, facilitate, facilitated

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use facies in a sentence

The prima facies of the former is not likely to be admired, since its few excellencies require to be selected by nice observation.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 10, Issue 278, Supplementary Number (1828)|Various
The horizontal part of the Facies, next the front, that lies behind the eyes and between the temples.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby
Vastum ubique silentium, secreti colles; fumantia procul tecta; nemo exploratoribus obvius, is what Tacitus calls facies victoriæ.
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. I. (of 12)|Edmund Burke
Marls and limestones with fossils of an Eocene facies overlie the Cretaceous rocks on the Gabun.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 1 "Franciscans" to "French Language"|Various

Cui Piso Nolim quidem, Gracche inquit, mea bona tibi viritim dividere liceat; sed si facies, partem petam.
Selections from Viri Romae|Charles Franois L'Homond

British Dictionary definitions for facies

facies

/ (ˈfeɪʃɪˌiːz) /

noun plural -cies

the general form and appearance of an individual or a group of plants or animals

the characteristics of a rock or series of rocks reflecting their appearance, composition, and conditions of formation

med the general facial expression of a patient, esp when typical of a specific disease or disorderSee Hippocratic facies

Word Origin for facies

C17: from Latin: appearance, 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

Scientific definitions for facies

facies

[ fā′shē-ēz′, -shēz ]

Plural facies

A body of sedimentary rock distinguished from others by its lithology, geometry, sedimentary structures, proximity to other types of sedimentary rock, and fossil content, and recognized as characteristic of a particular depositional environment.
For a metamorphic rock, the particular combination of pressure and temperature under which metamorphism occurred.

The general aspect or makeup of an ecological community, especially a local modification of a community characterized by a conspicuous or abundant species that is absent or less concentrated in other locations.

The appearance or expression of the face, especially when typical of a certain disorder or disease.