“Physiognomy” can refer to the art of discovering personality through physical appearance, and it can also be used to refer to the facial features themselves as they show off those traits. Eighteenth- and 19th-century novels are chock full of characters whose physiognomy supposedly reveals their inner attributes. Consider this quote from Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre,” spoken by a Good Samaritan examining Jane after she showed up in need of care: “She has a peculiar face; fleshless and haggard as it is, I rather like it; and when in good health and animated, I can fancy her physiognomy would be agreeable.” The word comes from the Greek “physiognōmōn,” meaning “judging character by the features,” with “physis” referring to physical appearance and “gnōmōn” meaning “interpreter.”