frown

nounverbattested in dialogue

United States//ˈfɹaʊ̯n//
//ˈfɹæʊ̯n//
//ˈfɹaːn//

A wrinkling of the forehead with the eyebrows brought together, typically indicating displeasure, severity, or concentration.

noun

1
A wrinkling of the forehead with the eyebrows brought together, typically indicating displeasure, severity, or concentration.
Philip had once told him of a man who had a horse-shoe frown, and Tom had tried with all his frowning-might to make a horse-shoe on his forehead
He encounters some obstacle in his train of reasoning ... and then a frown passes like a shadow over his brow.
2
A downturn of the corners of the mouth, typically expressing sadness.
The smile and the frown are both indicated and the operation of a motor driven flasher causes the face to look happy and sad in turn.
[object Object]
3
Any facial expression that indicates disapproval or displeasure.

Etymology

From Middle English frown, froun (“a threatening appearance; lowering of the clouds”), from frounen (“to frown”). See below.

verb

1
To have a frown on one's face.
She frowned when I told her the news.
2
figurativeTo manifest displeasure or disapprobation; to look with disfavour or threateningly.
Noisy gossip in the library is frowned upon.
The sky doth frown and lower upon our army.
3
To repress or repel by expressing displeasure or disapproval; to rebuke with a look.
Let us frown the impudent fellow into silence.
4
To communicate by frowning.
Frank frowned his displeasure with my proposal.
Copling glanced at the heading and signature, then read the contents and frowned annoyance.
As the band paused between songs, a gust of wind blew a distinctive Worthy Farm odour in the direction of drummer/vocalist Julien Ehrich: “Wow,” he frowned, “this place smells of cow shit.”

Etymology

From Middle English frounen (“to frown as an expression of disapproval, displeasure, shame, fear, or jealousy”), from Old French froignier, froingnier, frognier (“to wrinkle the mouth or forehead, frown, scowl”), of uncertain and disputed origin. Perhaps from Medieval Latin fruncāre (“to wrinkle, crease, turn up one's nose, make a face, frown”) (compare Old High German fruncetura (“wrinkle”), via Latin), from Frankish *hrunkwittjā (“wrinkle”)/*hrunkwōn (“to wrinkle”), whence Old High German runza (“wrinkle”). See also French froncer (“to frown, scowl”). Alternatively, perhaps from Gaulish *frognā (“nostril”), from Proto-Celtic *srognā (“nose”). Still yet, perhaps of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish fryna (“to frown, frown with one's nose, make a wry face”), Norwegian frøyna (“to wrinkle up one's nose, make a wry face; snort”). Compare also dialectal English frine (“to frown, whine, complain”).

Forms

plural: frowns
past tense: frowned
past participle: frowned
present participle: frowning
third person singular: frowns

frosting · Icing, a sweet, often creamy and thick, covering for cakes…frosty · Cold, chilly; icy.Frosty · A generic name for a snowman.

frown · A wrinkling of the forehead with the eyebrows brought together, typically indicating displeasure, severity, or concentration.

frozen · Having undergone the process of freezing; in ice form.fruit · A product of fertilization in a plant, specifically Fruit · A surname.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.