bold face
Definition
- Noun:
- A typeface with thick, heavy lines: "bold face" refers to a style of printed or displayed text where the characters are drawn with thicker strokes than the normal, regular typeface, making them appear darker and more prominent.
Usage
- Bold face is used primarily in typography, publishing, and digital text formatting to add emphasis, denote headings, or highlight specific words or phrases within a body of text.
- It is a non-count noun when referring to the style itself (e.g., "use bold face for the title"). The term can also be used attributively (e.g., "bold-face type").
Examples
- Noun:
- The key terms in the glossary are printed in bold face.
- For better visibility, set the headings in a bold face font.
- The designer recommended using bold face sparingly to maintain readability.
Advanced Usage
- "to put something in bold face": to format text using the bold typeface style.
- Please put the warning message in bold face so users notice it immediately.
Variants and Related Words
- Bold (adj/n): Often used interchangeably in modern usage (e.g., "bold text," "make it bold"). As a noun in typography, it can mean bold type.
- Boldfaced (adj): Formatted in bold face. (e.g., "a boldfaced lie" is an idiom meaning an obvious or shameless lie).
- Typeface (n): A set of characters of the same design (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial). Bold face is a variant of a typeface.
Synonyms
- Heavy type: A less common synonym emphasizing the weight of the lines.
- Emphasized type: Describes the function rather than the specific style.
Related Phrases
- Boldface lie (idiom): A shamelessly obvious or audacious lie. (Note: This is a compound idiom using "boldface" as an adjective).
- He told a boldface lie right to the teacher's face.
Notes
- In contemporary digital writing (e.g., word processors, web design), the term is often shortened to "bold" (e.g., "click the B icon to apply bold"). The full term "bold face" remains standard in professional typography and formal writing about design.
Noun
-
a typeface with thick heavy lines
