Forms: 7 fascet, faucett, 8 fasset, fosset, 8–9 facette, 8– facet. [a. F. facette, dim. of face: see FACE sb.] A little face.
1. One of the sides of a body that has numerous faces; orig. one of the small cut and polished faces of a diamond or other gem, but subsequently extended to a similar face in any natural or artificial body. Cf. BRILLIANT. Also preceded by certain defining words, as diagonal-, skill-, skew-, star-facet; for which see those words.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Honour (Arb.), 69. Honour, that is gained and broken vpon Another, hath the quickest Reflection; Like Diamonds cut with Fascets.
1647. R. Stapylton, Juvenal, 69.
| Virro’s own wine’s into large amber put, | |
| Or sea-green Berill into fascets cut. |
1750. Jeffries, Treat. Diamonds & Pearls (1751), 35. A Brilliant whose lustre is derived from the angles, or facets, of the sides only.
1800. trans. Lagrange’s Chem., II. 157. United with antimony, it gives a brittle metal with facets.
1808. Scott, Marmion, IV. xi.
| Above its cornice, row and row | |
| Of fair hewn facets richly show. |
1835. Marryat, Olla Podr., xxiii. They polish rubies; that is, without cutting them in facettes.
1853. J. W. F. Herschel, Popular Lectures on Scientific Subjects, viii. § 165 (1873). The appearance of certain small obliquely posited facets on the crystal previous to polishing.
1854. J. D. Hooker, Himalayan Journals, I. xv. 344. As the sun rose, the light reflected from these myriads of facets [of hoar-frost] had a splendid effect.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, s.v. Facetting, Facets on gold and silver are cut and polished on revolving wheels.
fig. 1820. Mar. Edgeworth, Life R. Edgeworth (1821), II. 260. That facet of the mind which it was the interest or the humour of the moment to turn outward.
2. Anat. a. A small flat and smooth articular surface of a bone.
1836. R. B. Todd, The Cyclopædia of Anatomy and Physiology, I. 272/1. The atlas is a simple ring. In general it is articulated with the occipital tubercle by a single concave facet on the body.
1870. G. Rolleston, Forms of Animal Life, Introduction, 57. The ribs of the Sauria have only a single articular facet.
1881. St. George Jackson Mivart, The Cat, 228. Its convex upper posterior border has a scarcely perceptible median notch, and on each side of this is an oval, convex, articular facet.
b. One of the individual parts or segments (ocelli) of a compound eye.
1834. H. M’Murtrie, Cuvier’s The Animal Kingdom, 289. Compound eyes, where the surface is divided into an infinitude of different lenses called facets, to each of which there is a corresponding filament of the optic nerve.
1859. Darwin, Orig. Spec., vi. (1873), 144. With insects it is now known that the numerous facets on the cornea of their great compound eyes form true lenses, and that the cones include curiously modified nervous filaments.
3. attrib., as facet-wise. Also facet-diamond, a diamond whose surface is formed into facets; facet-doublet, a counterfeit jewel (see DOUBLET) similarly treated; facet-flash, a flash of light from one of the facets of a gem; in quot. fig.
1664. Butler, Hud., II. i. 601.
| To grind her lips upon a mill, | |
| Until the facet doublet doth | |
| Fit their rhymes rather than her mouth. |
1676. Lond. Gaz., No. 1207/4. Two Diamond Rings with one Faucett Diamond … in each Ring.
1690. Satirical Songs and Poems on Costume (Percy Society), 186.
| A Saphire Bodkin for the Hair, | |
| Or sparkling Facet Diamond there. |
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Facet,… Multiplying Glasses are cut in Facets, or Facet-wise.
1868. Browning, Ring & Bk., I. 1361.
| Rather learn and love | |
| Each facet-flash of the revolving year! |
