— physiognomic /fiz'ee og nom"ik, -ee euh nom"-/ , physiognomical, physiognomonic /fiz'ee og'neuh mon"ik, -on'euh-/ , physiognomonical , adj. — physiognomically, physiognomonically , adv. — physiognomist , n.
/fiz'ee og"neuh mee, -on"euh mee/ , n. , pl. physiognomies .
1. the face or countenance, esp. 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, esp. of the face.
3. the outward appearance of anything, taken as offering some insight into its character: the physiognomy of a nation.
[ 1350-1400; earlier phisognomie, phisiognomie, late ME phisonomie physionomia, physonomia physiognomía, syncopated var. of Gk physiognomonía art of judging a person by his features (see PHYSIO-, GNOMON, -Y 3 ); r. ME fisenamie, fisnamie, fisnomie fisonomie ]