Crossword clues for physiognomy
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Physiognomy \Phys`i*og"no*my\, n.; pl. Physiognomies. [OE. fisonomie, phisonomie, fisnamie, OF. phisonomie, F. physiognomie, physiognomonie, from Gr. ?; fy`sis nature + ? one who knows or examines, a judge, fr. ?, ?, to know. See Physic, and Know, and cf. Phiz.]
The art and science of discovering the predominant temper, and other characteristic qualities of the mind, by the outward appearance, especially by the features of the face.
The face or countenance, with respect to the temper of the mind; particular configuration, cast, or expression of countenance, as denoting character.
The art telling fortunes by inspection of the features. [Obs.]
--Bale.The general appearance or aspect of a thing, without reference to its scientific characteristics; as, the physiognomy of a plant, or of a meteor.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
late 14c., "art of judging characters from facial features," from Old French phizonomie and directly from Late Latin physiognomia, from Greek physiognomia "the judging of a person's nature by his features," from physio- (see physio-) + gnomon (genitive gnomonos) "judge, indicator" (see gnomon). Meaning "face, countenance, features" is from c.1400. Related: Physiognomical.
Wiktionary
n. 1 The art or pseudoscience of deducing the predominant temper and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially from the features of the face. 2 The face or countenance, with respect to the temper of the mind; particular configuration, cast, or expression of countenance, as denoting character. 3 The art of telling fortunes by inspection of the features. 4 The general appearance or aspect of a thing, without reference to its scientific characteristics; as, the physiognomy of a plant, or of a meteor.
WordNet
Wikipedia
Physiognomy (from the Gk. physis meaning "nature" and gnomon meaning "judge" or "interpreter") is the assessment of a person's character or personality from his or her outer appearance, especially the face. The term can also refer to the general appearance of a person, object, or terrain, without reference to its implied characteristics, as in the physiognomy of a plant community.
Credence of such study has varied from time to time. The practice was well accepted by the ancient Greek philosophers, but fell into disrepute in the Middle Ages when practised by vagabonds and mountebanks. It was then revived and popularised by Johann Kaspar Lavater before falling from favour again in the late 19th century. Physiognomy as understood in the past meets the contemporary definition of a pseudoscience.
No clear evidence indicates physiognomy works, though recent studies have suggested that facial appearances do "contain a kernel of truth" about a person's personality.
Physiognomy is also sometimes referred to as anthroposcopy, though the expression was more common in the 19th century when the word originated.
Usage examples of "physiognomy".
The more dog-like head of the lion is well known to all who have studied the physiognomy of the Cats, and I have not only noticed it in drawing the animal, but have seen it alluded to in the writings of others.
His thirteen years with the monks in Tibet had taught him much about the wonders of vampiric physiognomy, the astounding supernatural plasticity that was not at all limited to the traditional European transformational varieties of bat, wolf, and mist.
The autochthon had already disappeared, tele porting away with a smile which was probably an accident of physiognomy.
He had heard of an alieni st in London who took pictures of the patients in his asylum because he was an amateur of physiognomy, who wished to demonstrate the importance of race, inter-breeding and cranial phenomena in the process of morbid degeneration.
Everything from Vedic mathematics, physics, geography, Ayurveda and the study of human physiognomy, cosmology, astronomy and astrology to military strategy, self-defense and hand-to-hand combat, mastery of weapons, engineering and architecture .
It pulled its rear up in a great arch, vised its prolegs into the hard earth, took the weight of its forebody, and with a flail lifted it, straightening the tube of bodiness, the humanish torso high at the end of outstretched grub physiognomy that batted uncertainly at the air, then onto the spongy caterpillar forelegs.
The hieromonks, who incidentally showed no change at all in their physiognomies, were watching with grave attention for what the elder would say, but they seemed as if they were about to stand up, like Miusov.
Brown to veil, as far as he was able, the vivacity of his looks beneath an expression of open and unheeding good-nature, an expression strangely enough contrasting with the closeness and sagacity which Nature had indelibly stamped upon features pointed, aquiline, and impressed with a strong mixture of the Judaical physiognomy.
The disease is not myxedema because there is no peculiar physiognomy, no spade-like hands nor infiltrated skin, no alteration of the speech, etc.
The mixture of bad qualities was such an appalling one that I thought his physiognomy was at fault, and the goods better than the sign.
The senator fancied that he could trace upon the physiognomy of young people certain signs which marked them out as the special favourites of fortune.
I thought myself skilled in physiognomy, and concluded that she was not only perfectly happy, but also the cause of happiness.
From studying the conventional mode of execution of ancient Egyptian art--which was strictly subject to the hieratic laws of type and proportion--we have accustomed ourselves to imagine the inhabitants of the Nile-valley in the time of the Pharaohs as tall and haggard men with little distinction of individual physiognomy, and recently a great painter has sought to represent them under this aspect in a modern picture.
Before his eyes passed an array of physiognomies that would have made Cesare Lombroso chirrup ecstatically and reach for his tape-measure.
Agros and Agrotes in the Greek of the Phœnician history, fits in wonderfully with the physiognomy of the race of the Cainites in the Bible narrative, whether we take a?