face plate n.

the transparent window of a spacesuitโ€™s helmet

  • 1930 E. E. Smith Skylark Three in Amazing Stories Aug. 405/2 page image Edward E. Smith bibliography

    Back in the control-room, Dunark and Sitar let their pressure decrease gradually to that of the terrestrial vessel and removed the face-plates from their helmets.

  • 1942 โ€˜W. Stewartโ€™ Minus Sign in Astounding Science Fiction Nov. 68/2 Jack Williamson bibliography

    Another guardsman in black armor came clawing up the rungs in frantic haste. He slammed his face plate up.

  • 1954 P. Anderson Big Rain in Astounding Science-Fiction 26/2 page image Poul Anderson bibliography

    He took a curved stone and spat on it and began scouring his faceplate to remove the accumulated scratches in its hard plastic.

  • 1971 L. Harding Fallen Spaceman in Worlds of If June 160/2 page image Lee Harding bibliography

    He looked past the grimy surface of the faceplate and at the pale white face on the other side.

  • 1991 O. S. Card Xenocide xv. 339 Orson Scott Card

    Tears dropped onto the faceplate of the suit.

  • 1992 A. Steele Labyrinth of Night 270 Allen Steele bibliography

    Nash instinctively threw his arms up in front of his helmet to protect his faceplate from being cracked.

  • 1993 K. S. Robinson Red Mars iii.89 Kim Stanley Robinson bibliography

    The sun was overhead, too bright to look at even through her faceplate.

  • 2008 A. M. Steele Galaxy Blues 102 page image Allen Steele bibliography

    I still had to use my free hand to clear silt from my faceplate.

Research requirements

antedating 1930
Research History
Mike Christie submitted a 1942 cite from Jack Williamson's "Minus Sign". Alan Cox submitted a cite from a 1974 edition of E.E. 'Doc' Smith's "Skylark Three": Alistair Durie verified the cite in the original 1930 serialization in Amazing Stories.

Earliest cite in OED: 1962.

Last modified 2020-12-27 03:54:55
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.