facedown

Facedown refers to a position or orientation in which the face is directed toward a surface. The term can function as an adjective or adverb and appears in several spellings: facedown, face-down, or face down. In general usage, people may lie facedown on the ground or a bed for rest, sleep, or to avoid exposure to light or noise.

In everyday life, facedown is also used to describe objects placed with their fronts hidden, such as facedown cards on a table or a facedown stack in a board game.

In medical and safety contexts, the prone position—often described as facing downward—can be used for treatment, examination, or surgery. It can aid certain respiratory therapies but also carries risks such as breathing difficulty or pressure injuries; proper monitoring is essential.

In games and collecting, facedown describes cards, tiles, or other items hidden from view. A facedown deck or facedown card is common in poker, matching, and memory games, where players reveal items only at a later time.

Spelling and usage notes: facedown tends to be used as a compound form, while face-down is common in adjectival phrases; some style guides prefer two words (face down) for general phrases. The choice may vary by region and publication.