What is the meaning of "facade" and what is the origin of this word?

It means a deceptive outward appearance, and I think it is a French word.

OK, I haven't used a dictionary on this one, just my knowledge of the language. "Facade" means a frontal image for something different in the background, for example: The confident manager is just a facade for a collapsing corporation. I hope I'm right. Oh, and the origin is French most likely, I guess.