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physiognomy

[fiz-ee-og-nuh-mee, -on-uh-mee]
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noun, plural phys·i·og·no·mies.
  1. the face or countenance, especially when considered as an index to the character: a fierce physiognomy.
  2. Also called anthroposcopy. the art of determining character or personal characteristics from the form or features of the body, especially of the face.
  3. the outward appearance of anything, taken as offering some insight into its character: the physiognomy of a nation.
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Origin of physiognomy

1350–1400; earlier phisognomie, phisiognomie, late Middle English phisonomie < Medieval Latin physionomia, physonomia < Late Greek physiognōmía, syncopated variant of Greek physiognōmonía art of judging a person by his features (see physio-, gnomon, -y3); replacing Middle English fisenamie, fisnamie, fisnomie < Middle French fisonomie < Medieval Latin, as above; cf. phiz
Related formsphys·i·og·nom·ic [fiz-ee-og-nom-ik, ‐ee-uh-nom‐] /ˌfɪz i ɒgˈnɒm ɪk, ‐i əˈnɒm‐/, phys·i·og·nom·i·cal, phys·i·og·no·mon·ic [fiz-ee-og-nuh-mon-ik, ‐on-uh‐] /ˌfɪz iˌɒg nəˈmɒn ɪk, ‐ˌɒn ə‐/, phys·i·og·no·mon·i·cal, adjectivephys·i·og·nom·i·cal·ly, phys·i·og·no·mon·i·cal·ly, adverbphys·i·og·no·mist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for physiognomic

Historical Examples

  • Act, and manner of doing the act, are creditably of a piece with Friedrich Wilhelm; physiognomic of the rugged veracious man.

    History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Volume IV. (of XXI.)

    Thomas Carlyle

  • Was I not very possibly myself, on this ground of physiognomic congruity, more physiognomic than anyone else?

    The Sacred Fount

    Henry James

  • The amount of study given to the hand renders it probable that palmistry may have considerable value as a physiognomic science.

  • Marie learned while very young to reproduce with marvelous skill what were called the attitudes and the physiognomic changes.

British Dictionary definitions for physiognomic

physiognomy

noun
  1. a person's features or characteristic expression considered as an indication of personality
  2. the art or practice of judging character from facial features
  3. the outward appearance of something, esp the physical characteristics of a geographical region
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Derived Formsphysiognomic (ˌfɪzɪəˈnɒmɪk) or physiognomical, adjectivephysiognomically, adverbphysiognomist, noun

Word Origin

C14: from Old French phisonomie, via Medieval Latin, from Late Greek phusiognōmia, erroneous for Greek phusiognōmonia, from phusis nature + gnōmōn judge
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for physiognomic

physiognomy

n.

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.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
physiognomic in Medicine

physiognomy

(fĭz′ē-ŏg′nə-mē, -ŏn′ə-mē)
n.
  1. Facial features, especially when considered as an indicator of character or as a factor in diagnosis.
  2. Estimation of one's character and mental qualities by a study of the face and general bodily carriage.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.