facial angle

American  

noun

1. Craniometry. the angle formed by a line from nasion to prosthion at its intersection with the plane of the Frankfurt horizontal.

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facial angle British  

noun

1. the angle formed between a line from the base of the nose to the opening of the ear and a line from the base of the nose to the most prominent part of the forehead: often used in comparative anthropology

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Etymology

Origin of facial angle

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

The importance of this difference of age, with respect to the facial angle, is very great in the simiæ.

From The Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races With Particular Reference to Their Respective Influence in the Civil and Political History of Mankind by Arthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)

His forehead betokens greater capacity; being more prominent, more vaulted, and with a greater facial angle.

From The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

The researches of Blumenbach show that threefourths of the animals known, have nearly the same facial angle; and yet what a disparity between their instincts and faculties!

From Beauty Illustrated Chiefly by an Analysis and Classificatin of Beauty in Woman by Walker, Alexander

But they had the same facial angle; they were of about the same age, thirty-five; each was tall, square-shouldered, and erect, and each had the same curious gait that betokens long experience in the saddle.

From The Grain Ship by Robertson, Morgan

He supposes that a race of quadrumanous apes gradually acquired the upright position in walking, with a corresponding modification of the feet and facial angle.

From Evolution, Old & New Or, the Theories of Buffon, Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck, as compared with that of Charles Darwin by Butler, Samuel