frontispiece

n. [ F. frontispice, LL. frontispicium beginning, front of a church, fr. L. frons front + spicere, specere, to look at, view: cf. It. frontispizio. See Front and Spy. ] The part which first meets the eye; as: (a) (Arch.) The principal front of a building. [ Obs. or R. ] (b) An ornamental figure or illustration fronting the first page, or titlepage, of a book; formerly, the titlepage itself. [ 1913 Webster ]