facing
/ˈfeɪsɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · [fˈesɪŋ] /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · [fˈesɪŋ] /ˈfā-siŋ/ (ame, mw)
facing — noun
- facingsingular
- facingsplural
1. an extra strip of cloth stitched onto a clothes opening — for example, around a
an extra strip of cloth stitched onto a clothes opening — for example, around a collar, cuff, or armhole — so the edge stays firm, holds its form, or looks more decorative.
Lukas sewed a silk facing onto the collar of his evening jacket.
collocation: sew a facing onto [garment part]
The tailor used a contrasting colour for the facing on the cuffs.
contrasting colour facing for decoration
Mira checked the facing inside her coat — it was starting to come loose.
A well-made facing prevents the edges of a dress from fraying after many washes.
用法筆記
Common in tailoring and dressmaking. Not to be confused with lining: facing runs only along the edge of an opening (collar, cuff, armhole), whereas lining covers the entire inside of the garment.
常見錯誤
2. a coating of stone, brick, tile, glass, or similar material applied to an exteri
a coating of stone, brick, tile, glass, or similar material applied to an exterior wall so the structure is shielded from weather or looks more attractive.
The old brick walls were covered with a limestone facing to give them a grander look.
collocation: limestone/stone facing
Rohan noticed cracks in the stone facing of the apartment building after the earthquake.
Modern office blocks often use a glass facing to create a sleek, reflective surface.
Dewi chose ceramic tiles for the exterior facing of her new kitchen extension.
用法筆記
Distinct from 'cladding' (which can be any external layer) — facing specifically implies a decorative or protective outer skin bonded or fixed to a structural wall. Often uncountable when referring to the material itself ('limestone facing').
常見錯誤
facing — adjective
- facingpositive
- more facingcomparative
- most facingsuperlative
1. situated on the opposite side — used particularly for a page, seat, or wall that
situated on the opposite side — used particularly for a page, seat, or wall that lies face-to-face with another.
Beatrix read the instructions on the facing page before starting the recipe.
common collocation: facing page
The train carriage had facing seats so four passengers could talk to one another.
common collocation: facing seats
Erik checked his reflection in the mirror on the facing wall while adjusting his tie.
Hao pointed to the painting on the facing wall and asked who the artist was.
- opposite
more versatile — can be used in more contexts and before more nouns
- facing each other
post-positional phrase, used for two objects in opposition
- adjacent
next to, rather than across from
用法筆記
Only used before a noun in fixed collocations (facing page, facing seats, facing wall). For most other contexts, use 'opposite' (the opposite building) or 'across from' (the house across from ours).
常見錯誤
2. having the front turned toward a particular direction or point of the compass —
having the front turned toward a particular direction or point of the compass — used especially in compound adjectives like south-facing, north-facing, east-facing, west-facing, and sea-facing.
Gabriel bought a south-facing garden so his tomato plants would get full sun.
south-facing + garden — common in real estate
The north-facing windows let in plenty of light but no direct sun.
north-facing windows — common collocation
Femi chose a west-facing balcony to watch the sunset over the hills every evening.
The east-facing slope of the hill stays much cooler in the afternoon.
The hotel advertised a sea-facing room with large windows overlooking the beach.
- oriented toward
more formal; used in technical descriptions ('an east-oriented garden')
- aspect
a noun used in property descriptions ('a south aspect')
用法筆記
Most often appears in hyphenated compounds like south-facing, north-facing, west-facing, east-facing. These are extremely common in real-estate listings, gardening advice, and geography descriptions. The compound is always hyphenated and placed directly before the noun it modifies.