physiognomy (redirected from physiognomical)

phys·i·og·no·my  (fz-gn-m, -n-m)

n. pl. phys·i·og·no·mies

1.

a. The art of judging human character from facial features.

b. Divination based on facial features.

2.

a. Facial features, especially when regarded as revealing character.

b. Aspect and character of an inanimate or abstract entity: the physiognomy of New England.

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[Middle English phisonomie, from Old French phisionomie, from Late Latin physiognmia, from Greek phusiognmi, variant of phusiognmoni : phusio-, physio- + gnmn, gnmon-, interpreter; see gn- in Indo-European roots.]

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physi·og·nomic (-g-nmk, --nmk), physi·og·nomi·cal (--kl) adj.

physi·og·nomi·cal·ly adv.

physi·ogno·mist n.

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physiognomy [fiz-ee-on-om-ee]

Noun

1. a person's face considered as an indication of personality

2. the outward appearance of something: the changed physiognomy of the forests [Greek phusis nature + gnōmōn judge]

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physiognomy, physiognomics

1. the art of determining character or personal qualities from the features or form of the body, especially the face.
2. divination by examining the features of a face. — physiognomist, n. — physiognomic, physiognomical, adj.

See also: Facial Features

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

physiognomy - the human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal terms for `face' and `phiz' is British) visage, kisser, phiz, smiler, mug, countenance human head - the head of a human being face, human face - the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear; "he washed his face"; "I wish I had seen the look on his face when he got the news" pudding face, pudding-face - a large fat human face colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom