aquiline
Americanadjective
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(of the nose) shaped like an eagle's beak; hooked.
-
of or like the eagle.
adjective
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(of a nose) having the curved or hooked shape of an eagle's beak
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of or resembling an eagle
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of aquiline
First recorded in 1640–50; from French or directly from Latin aquilīnus, derivative of aquila “eagle;” see origin at eagle, -ine 1
Explanation
Aquiline means like an eagle, so if someone tells you you have an aquiline nose, it means your nose looks like an eagle’s beak. Believe it or not, this is a compliment. Aquiline comes from the Latin word aquila, for eagle. The ancient Greeks and Romans were crazy about eagles, and thought that if you saw an eagle flying on a significant day, like a battle, it was a sign that you were going to win. So it was a big compliment to say someone’s features were aquiline. It almost always refers to a long, curving nose. We also call it a "Roman nose."
Vocabulary lists containing aquiline
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tony's aquiline features and grey curls lend him the air of a senator in Ancient Rome.
From BBC • Aug. 21, 2023
His wide forehead and aquiline nose gave him the look of a distinguished, almost regal, gentleman, although the crown of his head was as bald as a monk’s.
From Scientific American • Apr. 9, 2022
Partridge, who has the same distinct, aquiline profile as her grandmother, speaks from a studio at the Imogen Cunningham Trust, which houses an extensive collection of Cunningham’s original negatives and prints.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2021
Speaking to me from Paris, Laurent, with platinum blonde hair and a sideways-knotted neck scarf, was the picture of aquiline French elegance.
From New York Times • May 10, 2021
It might have held a presence medieval; and, reaching to the desk for pencil and paper, I sketched in fancy with an absent mind a profile, pale and aquiline.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
