n., pl., -mies.
- The art of judging human character from facial features.
- Divination based on facial features.
- Facial features, especially when regarded as revealing character.
- Aspect and character of an inanimate or abstract entity: the physiognomy of New England.
[Middle English phisonomie, from Old French phisionomie, from Late Latin physiognōmia, from Greek phusiognōmiā, variant of phusiognōmoniā : phusio-, physio- + gnōmōn, gnōmon-, interpreter.]
physiognomic phys'i·og·nom'ic (-ŏg-nŏm'ĭk, -ə-nŏm'ĭk) or phys'i·og·nom'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj.physiognomically phys'i·og·nom'i·cal·ly adv.
physiognomist phys'i·og'no·mist n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.