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facet plane

facet plane

7.7
A flat surface on a solid object that forms one face, like a cube or crystal
  • noun
  • /ˈfæsɪt pleɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cara
  • The crystal had multiple facet planes that reflected light beautifully.

Examples

  • In geometry class, we learned that a cube has six facet planes.

  • Each facet plane on the die contributes to its unique shape and ability to roll.

  • He suggests that those works took the particular forms they did as a result of the effort to find a balance between flattened facet planes that would emphasize the surface and a modeling that would disrupt it, without, however, producing anything that could quite be mistaken for sculptural form.

    Academic text (2002)

Synonyms

face
vsfacet plane
349 1.0

The main front surface of an object or tool

is any planar side of a geometric solid rather than just the front surface
facet
vsfacet plane
  • Specialized
4 6.8

A small flat shiny surface on a cut gem or bone

is a full planar side of a geometric solid not a small decorative surface
planum
vsfacet plane
  • Specialized
9.9

A flat surface on a bone or in the body

is a planar surface forming part of a geometric object not an anatomical term

Surface Forms

facet plane singular
facet planes plural

Morphology

facet + plane

Both constituents explicitly denote flat surfaces — 'facet' (a flat face) and 'plane' (a flat surface) — so the noun phrase simply refers to the flat surface that forms a facet. Although somewhat technical, this meaning is directly compositional and a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it.

Etymology

The term facet plane combines facet, meaning a flat side of a gem, and plane, meaning a flat surface. Imagine a cut diamond where each flat side lies on its own smooth surface, so facet plane means the flat surface that makes one 'face' of a shape or crystal.