facies: Meaning and Definition of

fa•ci•es

Pronunciation: (fā'shē-ēz", -shēz), [key]
— pl. fa•ci•es.
  1. general appearance, as of an animal or vegetable group.
  2. 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. a facial expression characteristic of a disease or pathological condition.
  4. a distinctive phase of a prehistoric cultural tradition.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.