lineament

[ lin-ee-uh-muh nt ]
/ ˈlɪn i ə mənt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR lineament ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Often lineaments. a feature or detail of a face, body, or figure, considered with respect to its outline or contour: His fine lineaments made him the very image of his father.
Usually lineaments. distinguishing features; distinctive characteristics: the lineaments of sincere repentance.
Geology. a linear topographic feature of regional extent that is believed to reflect underlying crustal structure.

Origin of lineament

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin līneāmentum a stroke, plural, features, equivalent to līneā(re) to draw a line (derivative of līnea; see line1) + -mentum -ment

OTHER WORDS FROM lineament

lin·e·a·men·tal [lin-ee-a-men-tl] /ˌlɪn i æˈmɛn tl/, adjective lin·e·a·men·ta·tion, noun

Words nearby lineament

linea, linea alba, linea nigra, lineage, lineal, lineament, linear, linear a, linear accelerator, linear algebra, linear atrophy

Words related to lineament

boundary, edge, channel, portrait, sketch, figure, likeness, shape, shade, shadow, contour, trick, habit, attribute, quirk, character, feature, peculiarity, oddity, virtue

Example sentences from the Web for lineament

British Dictionary definitions for lineament

lineament
/ (ˈlɪnɪəmənt) /

noun (often plural)

a facial outline or feature
a distinctive characteristic or feature
geology any long natural feature on the surface of the earth, such as a fault, esp as revealed by aerial photography

Derived forms of lineament

lineamental (ˌlɪnɪəˈmɛntəl), adjective

Word Origin for lineament

C15: from Latin: line, from līneāre to draw a line