What is "frounce"

Frounce \Frounce\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Frounced; p. pr. & vb. n. Frouncing.] [OE. frouncen, fronsen, to told, wrinkle, OF. froncier, F. froncer, perh. fr. an assumed LL. frontiare to wrinkle the forehead, L. frons forehead. See Front, and cf. Flounce part of a dress.] To gather into or adorn with plaits, as a dress; to form wrinkles in or upon; to curl or frizzle, as the hair.

Not tricked and frounced, as she was wont.
--Milton.

Frounce \Frounce\, v. i. To form wrinkles in the forehead; to manifest displeasure; to frown. [Obs.]

The Commons frounced and stormed. -- Holland.

Frounce \Frounce\, n.

1. A wrinkle, plait, or curl; a flounce; -- also, a frown. [Obs.]
   --Beau. & Fl.

2. An affection in hawks, in which white spittle gathers about the hawk's bill.
   --Booth.

c.1300, "to gather in folds," from Old French froncir, froncier "to pleat, fold; purse; crease, wrinkle," from fronce (n.), which is of unknown origin. Perhaps it is somehow from Latin frons "forehead," on the notion of frowning. Related: Frounced; frouncing.

n. A canker in the mouth of a hawk. vb. 1 (context rare English) To curl. 2 (context rare English) To crease, wrinkle, to frown. 3 To gather into or adorn with plaits, as a dress.

Frounce may refer to:

• Ruffle clothing.
• Trichomonas gallinae is a protist (or protozoan) that causes disease particularly in pigeons and doves. When it infects raptors the disease is called "frounce".
• Trichomonas an ancient group of disease-causing parasites in a wide variety of mammals and birds, as well as a "frounce"-like infection in dinosaurs.