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Frown vs Frounce - What's the difference?

frown | frounce |

As nouns the difference between frown and frounce

is that frown is a facial expression in which the eyebrows are brought together, and the forehead is wrinkled, usually indicating displeasure, sadness or worry, or less often confusion or concentration while frounce is a canker in the mouth of a hawk.

As verbs the difference between frown and frounce

is that frown is to have a on one's face while frounce is (rare) to curl.

frown

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A facial expression in which the eyebrows are brought together, and the forehead is wrinkled, usually indicating displeasure, sadness or worry, or less often confusion or concentration.

    • Derived terms

    * permafrown

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To have a on one's face.
  • To manifest displeasure or disapprobation; to look with disfavour or threateningly.
    • Noisy gossip in the library is frowned upon.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The sky doth frown and lower upon our army.
  • To repress or repel by expressing displeasure or disapproval; to rebuke with a look.
    • Frown the impudent fellow into silence.

    Derived terms

    * frown at * frown on * frown upon

    frounce

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A canker in the mouth of a hawk.

    • Verb

  • (rare) To curl.
  • * 1879 , Harmon Seeley Babcock, "The Peanut Man", in Trifles , Providence Press Company (1879), page 43:
    • Beard untrimmed by barber's shears,
    Hair all frouncing 'bout his ears,
  • * 1887 , Julian Corbett, For God and Gold , Macmillan and Co (1887), page 214:
    • As though to give him a warlike note, his clothes were thrown on in a slovenly way, and his moustache frounced out so shock and bristling that it seemed from each hair-end a crackling oath must start with every word he said.
  • * 1888 , Charles M. Doughty, Travels in Arabia Deserta , Volume 1, Cambridge (1888), page 498:
    • Under the day-long beating of the sun their brow is frounced out,
  • * 1983 , Carolly Erickson, The First Elizabeth , St. Martin's Griffin (1997), ISBN 9780312168421, page 307:
    • The unruly, shoulder-length hair of the redeemed made a strong contrast to the well-tended coiffures of fashionable men, who "frounced their hair with curling irons" and wore long "love locks" tied with ribbons or silk favors.
  • * 2012 , Carolyn Meyer, The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary, Queen of Scots , Harcourt (2012), ISBN 9780152061883, page 107:
    • My hairdresser stopped coming. Fortunately, my friend Seton had always enjoyed frouncing my hair, and she readily took up the responsibility, fixing my hair in a different style every day.
  • (rare) To crease, wrinkle, to frown.
  • * 1871 , George Mac-Henry, Time and Eternity: A Poem , A L Bancroft and Company (1871), page 42:
    • He frounced his brow, and from his scornful eye
    Shot wrath indignant, and disdain and pride,
  • * 1885 , " The Old Corner Shop: A Story of Very Poor Humanity", The Phrenological Magazine , December 1885:
    • Mury, however, frounced her brows, and made Sir Tyke Winchap's niece a profound courtesy behind her back.
  • * 2000 , Patrick Madden, " Down on Batlle's Farm", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought , Volume 33, Number 2, Summer 2000, page 160:
    • "But they know who you are?" I asked, and frounced my brow in skeptical doubt.
  • To gather into or adorn with plaits, as a dress.