The act of making or shaping faces, or making facial expressions; theatrical performance or grimacing.
Gerund form from 'facemaker', combining 'face' and 'making' (gerund of 'make'). Primarily used as an archaic or theatrical term.
When actors in Shakespeare's era talked about 'facemaking,' they meant the whole art of manipulating expression for drama—it's basically what we now call 'acting,' showing how language evolves to replace old theatrical vocabulary.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.