Lewis & Short

2. frons, frontis, f. (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. Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 296], the forehead, brow, front (syn.: vultus, os, facies).

  1. 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.
      1. 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.
      2. 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.
    1. B. Transf
      1. 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. 2. The outer end of a book-roll or volume, Tib. 3, 1, 13; Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 11.
      3. 3. The circumference of a wheel, Vitr. 10, 4.
      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.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. 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.
    2. B. The character or feelings expressed by the brow.
      1. 1. Poet. in partic., shame: exclamet perisse Frontem de rebus, Pers. 5, 104 (for which: clament periisse pudorem, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 80).
      2. 2. Impudence, boldness (late Lat.; cf. os), Aug. Civ. D. 3, 30.