From Jew + face, modelled on blackface and similar terms.
A compound of Jew + face
Biblical Hebrew יְהוּדָה ‘male given name, Yehuda’
…
Ancient Greek Ἰουδαῖος ‘Jew or Judean’
Latin iūdaeus ‘Judean (i.e. Jew)’
Old French juiu
Middle English Jew
English Jew
Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-
…
Latin faciēs ‘form’
Late Latin facia
Old French face
Middle English face
English face
Today it means
noun A style of theatrical makeup in which a person portrays a stereotypical Jew.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Jewface
Shirt and support for this word