Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A method of starting play in ice hockey, lacrosse, and other games in which an official drops the puck or ball between two opposing players who contend for its control.
  • noun A confrontation.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A confrontation or argument between two people or groups
  • noun ice hockey The start of play, when two players try to get control of the puck dropped by the referee

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a hostile disagreement face-to-face
  • noun (ice hockey) the method of starting play; a referee drops the puck between two opposing players

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

1889, face +‎ off.

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