monofacial
|mo-no-fa-cial|
🇺🇸
/ˌmɑnəˈfeɪʃəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌmɒnəˈfeɪʃəl/
having a single face
Etymology
'monofacial' originates from Greek and Latin, specifically Greek 'monos' and Latin 'facies', where 'monos' meant 'single' and 'facies' meant 'face'.
'monofacial' was formed as a hybrid technical coinage (see Neo-Latin/modern compounds) combining 'mono-' + 'facial' (from Latin 'facies'); it entered English usage in specialist contexts (archaeology, numismatics) in the 19th–20th century and later in industry (e.g., solar panels).
Initially it described objects or tools worked on a single face ('having one face'); over time the sense broadened to general 'single-sided' uses (for example, describing solar modules or other single-surface devices).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
noun form (derived): monofaciality — the state or quality of being monofacial.
The monofaciality of the piece made it easier to catalog.
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Adjective 1
having or showing only one face or surface; one-sided (used for coins, tokens, medals, or other objects).
The ancient token was monofacial, with its design stamped only on one side.
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Adjective 2
designed to receive or reflect light on only one side (used especially of solar panels or photovoltaic modules).
Most conventional solar panels are monofacial, capturing sunlight only from the top surface.
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Adjective 3
flaked, worked, or shaped on only one face (term used in archaeology and lithic analysis for stone tools).
The site yielded monofacial scrapers that had flakes removed only from one face.
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Last updated: 2025/10/08 14:04