Breakface
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 the surface of an artifact where a piece has been broken off
"The carved surface and breakfaces on the sides of this relief exhibit a uniform appearance in ultraviolet light despite damage to the surface, including scratches, abrasion, and a modern drillhole from a previous mount. […] The head has been broken off at the neck and repaired previously. Breakfaces appear sharp and clean as if the break were recent. […] A chip is associated with the clean breakface."
Example
More examples"The carved surface and breakfaces on the sides of this relief exhibit a uniform appearance in ultraviolet light despite damage to the surface, including scratches, abrasion, and a modern drillhole from a previous mount. […] The head has been broken off at the neck and repaired previously. Breakfaces appear sharp and clean as if the break were recent. […] A chip is associated with the clean breakface."
Etymology
From break + face.
Related phrases
More for "breakface"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.