frontispiece

noun fron·tis·piece \ ˈfrən-tə-ˌspēs \

Definition of frontispiece

1 a : the principal front of a building

b : a decorated pediment over a portico or window

2 : an illustration preceding and usually facing the title page of a book or magazine

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Recent Examples of frontispiece from the Web

The facade features four thick pillars support a covered porch, a balcony and an ornate frontispiece.

— neal j. leitereg, latimes.com, "Jimmy Rollins hits one into the stratosphere in Encino’s luxury home market," 25 Jan. 2018
Sarah Weinman and Joe Lansdale both contribute pressing stories that pivot smartly against the expectation their frontispieces create.

— charles finch, USA TODAY, "Famous paintings inspire colorful stories by famed mystery writers," 19 Dec. 2017
Thror’s Map, which Tolkien himself drew and which his characters use as a guide to get into the Mountain, may look like the map of Treasure Island that Robert Louis Stevenson included as a frontispiece in his 1883 novel.

— adrian daub, Longreads, "Here at the End of All Things," 24 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frontispiece.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.