different between frown vs frounce

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f?a?n/

• Rhymes: -a?n

Etymology 1

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

Noun

frown (plural frowns)

1. 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.
2. A facial expression in which the corners of the mouth are pointed down.

Derived terms

• permafrown

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English frounen (“to frown as an expression of disapproval, displeasure, shame, fear, or jealousy”), from Old French frognier (“to frown or scowl”), from Gaulish *frogn? (“nostril”), from Proto-Celtic *srogn?.

Verb

frown (third-person singular simple present frowns, present participle frowning, simple past and past participle frowned)

1. (intransitive) To have a frown on one's face.

2. (intransitive, figuratively) To manifest displeasure or disapprobation; to look with disfavour or threateningly.
3. (transitive) To repress or repel by expressing displeasure or disapproval; to rebuke with a look.

4. (transitive) To communicate by frowning.

Synonyms

• scowl

Derived terms

• frown at
• frown on
• frown upon

Translations

Welsh

Adjective

frown

1. Soft mutation of brown.

Mutation

English

Etymology

From Middle English frouncen, from Old French froncir "to wrinkle, frown", from Frankish *hrunkja (“a wrinkle”), from Proto-Germanic *hrunkij?, *hrunkit? (“fold, wrinkle”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, bend”). Akin to Old High German runza "fold, wrinkle, crease" (German Runzel "wrinkle"), Middle Dutch ronse "frown", Old Norse hrukka "wrinkle, crease" (Icelandic hrukka "wrinkle, crease, ruck"). More at ruck₂.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f?a?ns/

Noun

frounce (plural frounces)

1. A canker in the mouth of a hawk.
2. A plait or curl.

Translations

Verb

frounce (third-person singular simple present frounces, present participle frouncing, simple past and past participle frounced)

1. (rare, transitive, intransitive) 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, 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, 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.

2. (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.

3. To gather into or adorn with plaits, as a dress.

Translations

Anagrams

• unforce