The face is the front part of your head, where your eyes, nose, mouth, and other features come together to create your unique appearance. When you look in a mirror, you see your face looking back at you. Your face is how people recognize you from across a crowded room or in old photographs.

But the word reaches far beyond anatomy. The face of a clock shows the time with its numbers and hands. A mountain has a sheer rock face that climbers must scale. A building's face is its front side that everyone sees from the street. In each case, face refers to the front or most visible surface of something.

The word also describes confronting something directly. When you face a difficult problem, you deal with it head-on instead of avoiding it. A house that faces south gets afternoon sun. Students face challenges when learning new subjects.

People sometimes talk about saving face, which means protecting your reputation or avoiding embarrassment. If you make a mistake in front of others, you might try to save face by handling it calmly. The expression is often used when talking about cultures where maintaining dignity and respect is deeply important.

To make a face means to twist your features into an expression, usually of disgust or silliness. You might make a face at someone to signal you think their idea is questionable, or just to make your little sister laugh.