front illustration facing the title page of a book
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Frontispiece \Fron"tis*piece\, n. [F. frontispice, LL. frontispicium beginning, front of a church, fr. L. frons front + spicere, specere, to look at, view: cf. It. frontispizio. See {Front} and {Spy}.] The part which first meets the eye; as: (a) (Arch.) The principal front of a building. [Obs. or R.] (b) An ornamental figure or illustration fronting the first page, or titlepage, of a book; formerly, the titlepage itself.