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frons , frontis, f. (
I.masc., Cato ap. Gell. 15, 9, 5; and ap. Fest. s. v. recto, p. 286, b, Müll.; Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 46 Ritschl, N. cr.; id. ap. Non. 205, 4; Caecil. ap. Gell. 15, 9, 3; Vitr. 10, 17) [cf. Sanscr. brhū; Gr. ὀφρύς; Germ. Braue; Engl. brow; v. Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 296], the forehead, brow, front (syn.: vultus, os, facies).
I. Lit.: “frons et aliis (animalibus), sed homini tantum tristitiae, hilaritatis, clementiae, severitatis index: in adsensu ejus supercilia homini et pariter et alterna mobilia,Plin. 11, 37, 51, § 138: “tanta erat gravitas in oculo, tanta contractio frontis, ut illo supercilio res publica, tamquam Atlante caelum, niti videretur,Cic. Sest. 8, 19: frontem contrahere, to contract or knit the brows, id. Clu. 26, 72; Hor. S. 2, 2, 125; “for which, adducere,Sen. Ben. 1, 1: “attrahere,id. ib. 6, 7: remittere frontem, to smooth the brow, i. e. to cheer up, Plin. Ep. 2, 5, 5; “for which: exporge frontem,Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 53; cf.: “primum ego te porrectiore fronte volo mecum loqui,Plaut. Cas. 2, 4, 3: “explicare,Hor. C. 3, 29, 16; “solvere,Mart. 14, 183: ut frontem ferias, smitest thy forehead (as a sign of vexation), Cic. Att. 1, 1, 1; cf.: “nulla perturbatio animi, nulla corporis, frons non percussa, non femur,id. Brut. 80, 278: “femur, pectus, frontem caedere,Quint. 2, 12, 10: “frontem sudario tergere,id. 6, 3, 60; “for which: siccare frontem sudario,id. 11, 3, 148: “capillos a fronte retroagere,id. ib. 160: “mediam ferro gemina inter tempora frontem Dividit,Verg. A. 9, 750: “quorundam capita per medium frontis et verticis mucrone distincta, in utrumque humerum pendebant,Amm. 31, 7, 14: “insignem tenui fronte Lycorida (a small forehead was regarded as a beauty by the ancients),Hor. C. 1, 33, 5; cf. id. Ep. 1, 7, 26; Petr. 126; Mart. 4, 42, 9; Arn. 2, 72.—Of the forehead of animals: “est bos cervi figura: cujus a media fronte, etc.,Caes. B. G. 6, 26, 1: “tauri torva fronte,Plin. 8, 45, 70, § 181: “equi,Ov. Tr. 5, 9, 30: “ovis,id. F. 4, 102: “cui (haedo) frons turgida cornibus Primis,Hor. C. 3, 13, 4: “(vitulus) Fronte curvatos imitatus ignes lunae,id. ib. 4, 2, 57.—In plur., Lucr. 5, 1034. —
2. The brow as a mirror of the feelings: “non solum ex oratione, sed etiam ex vultu et oculis et fronte, ut aiunt, meum erga te amorem perspicere potuisses,Cic. Att. 14, 13, B, 1; cf. Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 11, 44; and: “homines fronte et oratione magis, quam ipso beneficio reque capiuntur,expression of countenance, id. ib. 12, 46: “si verum tum, cum verissima fronte, dixerunt, nunc mentiuntur,Cic. Rab. Post. 12, 35: “haec ipsa fero equidem fronte et vultu bellissime, sed angor intimis sensibus,id. Att. 5, 10, 3: frons, oculi, vultus persaepe mentiuntur; “oratio vero saepissime,id. Q. F. 1, 1, 5, § 15; cf.: “oculi, supercilia, frons, vultus denique totus, qui sermo quidam tacitus mentis est, hic in fraudem homines impulit,id. Pis. 1, 1; id. Fam. 1, 9, 17: “fronte occultare sententiam,id. Lael. 18, 65: “tranquilla et serena,id. Tusc. 3, 15, 31; cf.: “reliquiae pristinae frontis,id. Fam. 9, 10, 2: “laeta,Verg. A. 6, 862: “sollicita,Hor. C. 3, 29, 16: “tristis,Tib. 2, 3, 33: “gravis,Plin. Pan. 41, 3: “humana, lenis, placida,Sen. Ben. 2, 13: “inverecunda,Quint. 2, 4, 16: “proterva,Hor. C. 2, 5, 16: “urbana (i. e. impudens),id. Ep. 1, 9, 11: “impudens, proterva, Aug. Op. imperf. c. Jul. 6, 21: impudentissima,id. ib. 26; cf.: “impudentia frontis,Hier. adv. Rufin. 1, 7: “fronte inverecunda nummos captare,Val. Max. 8, 2, 2.—In plur.: “si populo grata est tabella, quae frontes aperit hominum, mentes tegat,Cic. Planc. 6, 16.—
3. Prov.: “frons occipitio prior est,” i. e. better work before the master's face than behind his back, Cato, R. R. 4; Plin. 18, 5, 6, § 31.—
B. Transf
1. The forepart of any thing, the front, façade, van (opp. tergum and latus): “copias ante frontem castrorum struit,Caes. B. C. 3, 37, 1: “aedium,Vitr. 3, 2: “parietum,id. 2, 8: “januae,Ov. F. 1, 135: “scena,Verg. G. 3, 24: “(navium),id. A. 5, 158: “pontis,Hirt. B. G. 8, 9, 4: “collis ex utraque parte lateris dejectus habebat, et in frontem leniter fastigatus, etc.,Caes. B. G. 2, 8; 7, 23: intervallum justum arborum quadrageni pedes in terga frontemque, in latera viceni, Plin. 17, 23, 35, § 202; cf. Quint. 1, 10, 43: “octo cohortes in fronte constituit,Sall. C. 59, 2: “quatuor legionum aquilae per frontem,Tac. H. 2, 89: “una fronte contra hostem castra muniunt,only in front, Caes. B. C. 1, 80, 2 Herz.: “aequa fronte ad pugnam procedebat,Liv. 36, 44, 1: “nec tamen aequari frontes poterant, cum extenuando infirmam mediam aciem haberent,id. 5, 38, 2: “recta fronte concurrere hosti (opp. in dextrum cornu),Curt. 4, 13 med.; cf.: “directa fronte pugnandum est,Quint. 5, 13, 11: “veritus ne simul in frontem simul et latera suorum pugnaretur,Tac. Agr. 35: “transisse aestuaria pulchrum ac decorum in frontem (i. e. fronti),for the front, the van, id. ib. 33: dextra fronte prima legio incessit, on the right front, i. e. on the right wing, id. H. 2, 24 fin.: “laeva,Claud. in Ruf. 2, 174; cf.: “frons laevi cornu haec erat,Curt. 4, 13 fin.Poet. transf., of clouds: “ut non tam concurrere nubes Frontibus adversis possint quam de latere ire,Lucr. 6, 117; “of a precipice: Fronte sub adversa scopulis pendentibus antrum,Verg. A. 1, 166.—Esp. freq.: a fronte, in front, before (opp. a tergo and a latere): “a tergo, a fronte, a lateribus tenebitur, si in Galliam venerit,Cic. Phil. 3, 13, 32: “a fronte atque ab utroque latere cratibus ac pluteis protegebat,Caes. B. C. 1, 25 fin.: “totis fere a fronte et ab sinistra parte nudatis castris,id. B. G. 2, 23, 4. —
2. The outer end of a book-roll or volume, Tib. 3, 1, 13; Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 11.—
3. The circumference of a wheel, Vitr. 10, 4.—
4. In measuring land = latitudo, the breadth: “mille pedes in fronte, trecentos cippus in agrum Hic dabat,Hor. S. 1, 8, 12; Inscr. Orell. 4558; 4560.—
II. Trop.
A. The outside, exterior, external quality, appearance (cf. species and facies; “mostly post-Aug.): Pompeius Scauro studet: sed utrum fronte an mente, dubitatur,Cic. Att. 4, 15, 7: “plus habet in recessu, quam fronte promittat,Quint. 1, 4, 2; 11, 1, 61; cf.: “frons causae non satis honesta,id. 4, 1, 42 Spald.: “decipit Frons prima multos,the first appearance, Phaedr. 4, 2, 6; cf.: “dura primā fronte quaestio,Quint. 7, 1, 56: “ex prima statim fronte dijudicare imprudentium est,id. 12, 7, 8.—
B. The character or feelings expressed by the brow.
1. Poet. in partic., shame: “exclamet perisse Frontem de rebus,Pers. 5, 104 (for which: “clament periisse pudorem,Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 80).—
2. Impudence, boldness (late Lat.; cf. “os),Aug. Civ. D. 3, 30.
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hide References (69 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (69):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 1.9.17
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 9.10.2
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 14.13
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 1.1.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 4.15.7
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 5.10.3
    • null, 11.44
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 2.23.4
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 2.8
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 6.26.1
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 8.9.4
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 8.19
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 26.72
    • Cicero, Against Piso, 1.1
    • Cicero, For Plancius, 6.16
    • Cicero, For Rabirius Postumus, 12.35
    • Cicero, Philippics, 3.13.32
    • Plautus, Miles Gloriosus, 2.2
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.166
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 5.158
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 6.862
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 9.750
    • Vergil, Georgics, 3.24
    • Horace, Satires, 2.2.125
    • Vitruvius, On Architecture, 2.8
    • Vitruvius, On Architecture, 3.2
    • Vitruvius, On Architecture, 10.4
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.80.2
    • Caesar, Civil War, 3.37.1
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.25
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 2.89
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 2.24
    • Tacitus, Agricola, 35
    • Plautus, Casina, 2.4
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.1034
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.117
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 18.31
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 2.5.5
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 38.2
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 36, 44
    • Seneca, de Beneficiis, 1.1
    • Seneca, de Beneficiis, 2.13
    • Seneca, de Beneficiis, 6.7
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 18
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 3.15
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 10.43
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 4.16
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 4.2
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 12.10
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.60
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 4, 1.42
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 5, 13.11
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 7, 1.56
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 1.61
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.148
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.160
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 7.8
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 15.9.3
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 15.9.5
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 59
    • Ovid, Tristia, 1.1
    • Ovid, Tristia, 5.9
    • Persius, Saturae, 5
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 14.183
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 4.13
    • Cicero, Brutus, 80.278
    • Ovid, Fasti, 1
    • Ovid, Fasti, 4
    • Valerius Maximus, Facta et Dicta Memorabilia, 8.2.2
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