Describing something that resembles a human or animal face in its overall appearance, often exhibiting features that evoke facial characteristics, such as two prominent features that suggest eyes, a central element resembling a nose, and an arrangement that hints at a mouth. This resemblance can be abstract or relatively realistic, depending on the object and the viewer's interpretation. The term emphasizes the perceived anthropomorphic or zoomorphic quality of an object's form and is often used when discussing natural formations, abstract art, or unusual objects found in everyday life. This resemblance contributes to our innate ability to recognize and interpret faces. It is this recognition that allows us to assign emotion and intention to it.
Face-like meaning with examples
- The rock formation, with its weathered grooves and indentations, presented a clearly face-like appearance. Two hollows served as eye sockets, a ridge mimicked a nose, and a curved fissure resembled a smile, creating a startling effect. The hikers paused, captivated by the uncanny resemblance, momentarily seeing a silent sentinel in the wilderness. The erosion and natural elements combined to give the stone an almost eerily human expression.
- The artist's abstract sculpture was intentionally designed with face-like elements. Circular depressions served as eyes, and a slightly protruding form acted as a nose, despite its overall non-representational style. The viewers, immediately read these shapes as a face, even if the rest of the sculpture was composed of geometric shapes, proving our propensity for interpreting objects as faces is very strong. This conscious use of 'face-like' features gave the artwork an unexpected emotional impact.
- The pattern on the bark of the old tree formed a face-like arrangement. Two large knots were like eyes, with a vertical crack seeming like a mouth. Sunlight cast shadows that intensified the features, giving the impression that the tree was watching us, and an old fable said that the woods had a protector spirit and the tree was its manifestation. The wind whispered through the leaves, seemingly carrying the sound of a faint chuckle.
- During the microscopy session, an unusual crystal formation appeared face-like under the lens. Two perfect circles looked like eyes, with a tiny indentation that resembled a mouth. Its unexpected symmetry and composition resulted in an expression that made the researchers wonder about what they were looking at. They quickly took multiple pictures of their find.
- The swirling pattern on the nebula within the telescope view reminded the scientists of a face-like expression. The vast clouds of dust and gas created two large voids that took on the appearance of eyes, with a region of brighter luminosity that resembled a nose. It made for an awesome discovery. Despite its immense size, the scientists instantly associated emotion to it.