The visible front of a clock showing the numbers, hands, and markers that display the time.
Compound of 'clock' and 'face,' where 'face' comes from Old French and Latin 'facies' meaning appearance or surface. The metaphorical use of 'face' for the front of an object is very old.
Clock faces are one of the oldest pieces of visual language we have—the Roman numerals, Arabic numbers, and hand positions are so universally understood that we instantly recognize time without conscious thought, making it one of design's greatest achievements.
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