physiognomy
pronunciation
How to pronounce physiognomy in British English:
UK [ˌfɪziˈɒnəmi]
How to pronounce physiognomy in American English:
US [ˌfɪziˈɑːnəmi]
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- Noun:
- the human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal terms for `face' and `phiz' is British)
Word Origin
- 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.
Example
- 1. South korean analysts speculate kim jong-il favoured his third son as successor as he shares some of the imposing physique and physiognomy of kim il-sung founder of the nation .