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.
© Webster 1913.