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Physiognomy vs Phrenology - What's the difference?

physiognomy | phrenology |

As nouns the difference between physiognomy and phrenology

is that physiognomy is the art or pseudoscience of deducing the predominant temper and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially from the features of the face while phrenology is (medicine|biology) the science, now generally discredited, which studies the relationships between a person's character and the morphology (structure) of the skull.

physiognomy

Alternative forms

* visnomie, visnomy (obsolete)

Noun

  • The art or pseudoscience of deducing the predominant temper and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially from the features of the face.
  • The face or countenance, with respect to the temper of the mind; particular configuration, cast, or expression of countenance, as denoting character.
  • The art of telling fortunes by inspection of the features.
  • The general appearance or aspect of a thing, without reference to its scientific characteristics; as, the physiognomy of a plant, or of a meteor.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    phrenology

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • (medicine, biology) The science, now generally discredited, which studies the relationships between a person's character and the morphology (structure) of the skull.
  • Phrenology involves feeling the bumps in the skull to determine an individual's psychological attributes.

    Synonyms

    * cranioscopy

    See also

    * have one's head read

    Anagrams

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