ppl. a. Obs. [f. F. effronté, OF. esfronté (= It. sfrontato):—late L. *ex- (ef-)frontātus, f. (*ex-) ef-frons, f. ex out, without + frons forehead + -ED. (The L. frons occurs in the sense of ‘ability to blush,’ so that effrons prob. meant ‘unblushing’; cf. browless, frontless. Some, however, suppose the lit. sense to be ‘putting forth the forehead.’)]
Shameless, barefaced, unblushingly insolent.
1598. E. Gilpin, Skial. (1878), 41. Yet their effronted thoughts adulterate, Think the blind world holds them legitimate.
1612. J. Taylor (Water P.), Sculler, Wks. III. 17/2. He … with his effrontit shamelesse face, Seemes to command the diuell.
1614. Sir W. Alexander, Doomesday, II. (R.). Th’ effronted whore prophetically showne By holy John in his mysterious scrouls.
1641. Relat. Answ. Earl Strafford, 97. Others … imputed this to his effronted boldnesse.
Hence † Effrontedly adv., in a barefaced manner; shamelessly.
1628. Le Grys, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, 216. Lest my Vncle … should the more effrontedly execute vpon mee the remainder [of his treachery].
1680. Hickes, Spir. Popery, 40. To shew … how effrontedly this Antiepiscoparian speaks.
