front

Definitions

front = Latin frōns (forehead), the foremost part of the head. The forehead is what meets the world first, so front came to mean the face-forward side of anything — a building, a queue, an army, a mass of air. The figurative 'put on a front' keeps the image: a face you show outward while hiding what's behind.

Why It Means This

Front spreads across many domains from one image: the foremost face. Spatially it's the side facing you (the front of a shop). Militarily it's the leading line of contact (the Western Front). Socially it's a mask — a 'front' is the calm or confident face you present while feeling otherwise. In weather, a front is the advancing edge where two air masses meet. The common thread is always the leading, outward-facing edge.

Common Collocations

• 1.in front of在…前面
• 2.at the front在前面
• 3.front of the queue队伍前端
• 4.put on a front摆出姿态
• 5.cold front冷锋
• 6.front door前门

Example Sentences

• 1.

  There's a small garden in front of the house.

• 2.

  Soldiers were sent to the front to reinforce the line.

• 3.

  She kept up a brave front, but she was terrified inside.

• 4.

  A cold front is moving in from the north tonight.