facies

UK: /ˈfeɪʃɪˌiːz/ US: (fā′shē ēz′, -shēz)

Inflections of 'facies' (n): npl: facies

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fa•ci•es  (fā′shē ēz′, -shēz), n., pl. fa•ci•es. 

1. general appearance, as of an animal or vegetable group.
2. Geology the appearance and characteristics of a sedimentary deposit, esp. as they reflect the conditions and environment of deposition and serve to distinguish the deposit from contiguous deposits. Cf. metamorphic facies.
3. Medicine a facial expression characteristic of a disease or pathological condition.
4. Archaeology a distinctive phase of a prehistoric cultural tradition.

• Latin: form, figure, appearance, face, akin to facere to make
• Middle English 1350–1400, for an earlier sense

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

facies / ˈfeɪʃɪˌiːz/ noun ( -cies)

1. the general form and appearance of an individual or a group of plants or animals
2. the characteristics of a rock or series of rocks reflecting their appearance, composition, and conditions of formation
3. the general facial expression of a patient, esp when typical of a specific disease or disorder

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin: appearance, face