front
front [front fronts fronted fronting] noun, adjective, verb BrE [frʌnt] NAmE [frʌnt]
noun
FORWARD PART/POSITION
1. countable, usually singular (usually the front)the part or side of sth that faces forward; the side of sth that you look at first
• The front of the building was covered with ivy.
• The book has a picture of Rome on the front.
•The front of the car was badly damaged.
see also ↑shopfront, Y-fronts
2. the frontsingular the position that is in the direction that sb/sth is facing
• Keep your eyes to the front and walk straight ahead.
• There's a garden at the front of the house.
3. the frontsingular the part of sth that is furthest forward
• I prefer to travel in the front of the car (= next to the driver).
• The teacher made me move my seat to the front of the classroom.
•Write your name in the front of the book (= the first few pages).
CHEST
4. sb's frontsingular the part of sb's body that faces forwards; sb's chest
• She was lying on her front.
• I spilled coffee down my front.
SIDE OF BUILDING
5. countable the west, north, south, east, etc. ~ the side of a large building, especially a church, that faces west, north, etc
•the west front of the cathedral
EDGE OF SEA/LAKE
6. the frontsingular (BrE)the road or area of land along the edge of the sea, a lake or a river
•Couples walked hand in hand along the front.
see also ↑seafront
IN WAR
7. countable, usually singular an area where fighting takes place during a war
•More British troops have been sent to the front.
•to serve at the front
•fighting a war on two fronts
•Reports from the battle fronts became briefer and vaguer.
see also ↑front line, ↑home front
AREA OF ACTIVITY
8. countable a particular area of activity
•Things are looking unsettled on the economic front.
•Progress has been made on all fronts.
HIDING TRUE FEELINGS
9. singular behaviour that is not genuine, done in order to hide your true feelings or opinions
•Rudeness is just a front for her shyness.
•It's not always easy to put on a brave front for the family.
•The prime minister stressed the need to present a united front (= show people that all members of the group have the same opinion about things).
HIDING STH ILLEGAL
10. countable, usually singular ~ (for sth) a person or an organization that is used to hide an illegal or secret activity
•The travel company is just a front for drug trafficking.
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION
11. Frontsingular used in the names of some political organizations
•the Animal Liberation Front
see also ↑popular front
WEATHER
12. countable the line where a mass of cold air meets a mass of warm air
•a cold/warm front
more at back to front at ↑back n., cash up front at ↑cash n., before/in front of sb's (very) eyes at ↑eye n., lead from the front at ↑lead 1 v.
Word Origin:
Middle English (denoting the forehead): from Old French front (noun), fronter (verb), from Latin frons, front- ‘forehead, front’.
Which Word?:
in front of / in the front of
In front of can mean the same as outside, but not opposite: ▪ I’ll meet you in front of/outside your hotel. ◇ ▪ There’s a bus stop in front of the house ▪ (= on the same side of the road) ▪. ◇ ▪ There’s a bus stop opposite the house ▪ (= on the other side of the road) ▪.
In/at the front (of sth) means ‘in the most forward part of something’: ▪ The driver sits at the front of the bus. ◇ ▪ Put the shortest flowers in the front (of the bunch).
Example Bank:
•Even young teenagers were sent to the front.
•Her aggressive behaviour is just a front for her shyness.
•However much the directors disagree with each other, they always present a united front to the world.
•She put on a brave front, but I knew how miserable she was.
•They had to fight on two fronts.
•Thousands were killed on the eastern front.
•Without that false front, I wouldn't be able to face the world.
•It's not always easy putting on a brave front for the family.
•The prime minister stressed the need to present a united front.
Idioms: ↑front and center ▪ ↑in front ▪ ↑in front of ▪ ↑on the front burner ▪ ↑out front ▪ ↑up front
Derived: ↑front for somebody
adjective only before noun
1. on or at the front of sth
•front teeth
•the front wheels of the car
• We had seats in the front row.
•an animal's front legs
• Let's go through to the front room (= the main room in a house where people sit and entertain guests).
•a front-seat passenger
compare ↑back, ↑hind adj.
2. (phonetics) (of a vowel)produced with the front of the tongue in a higher position than the back, for example /[iː] / in English
compare ↑back, ↑central
Word Origin:
Middle English (denoting the forehead): from Old French front (noun), fronter (verb), from Latin frons, front- ‘forehead, front’.
verb
FACE STH
1. transitive, intransitive to face sth or be in front of sth; to have the front pointing towards sth
•~ sth The cathedral fronts the city's main square.
•~ onto sth The line of houses fronted straight onto the road.
COVER FRONT
2. transitive, usually passive ~ sth to have the front covered with sth
•a glass-fronted bookcase
LEAD GROUP
3. transitive ~ sth to lead or represent an organization, a group, etc
•He fronts a multinational company.
•A former art student fronted the band (= was the main singer).
PRESENT TV PROGRAMME
4. transitive ~ sth (especially BrE)to present a television programme, a show, etc
•The former footballer will front a new television sports quiz.
GRAMMAR
5. transitive ~ sth (linguistics)to give more importance to a part of a sentence by placing it at or near the beginning of the sentence, as in ‘That I would like to see.’
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Middle English (denoting the forehead): from Old French front (noun), fronter (verb), from Latin frons, front- ‘forehead, front’.
Example Bank:
•The band is fronted by former art student, Jim Oliver.
See also: ↑out the front
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