▪ I. visage, n.
(ˈvɪzɪdʒ)
Forms: 4–6 vysage (4 fysage), uisage, 4– visage (4, 5 Sc., wisage, wysage), 5 visache, 6 visadge, 6 Sc. visag (wissag), vissage; 4 vysege, fisege, 5 fyssege; 5 vesage, -ayge, Sc. wesage, 6 Sc. vessage.
[a. AF. and OF. (also mod.F.) visage, = Sp. visage, visaje, Pg. visagem, It. visaggio, f. L. vīs-us face (cf. vis n.1): see -age.]
1. The face, the front part of the head, of a person (rarely of an animal).
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 5887 He hydde hys vysege al þat he myȝt, Out of knowlych of here syȝt. 13.. Coer de L. 827 Sche gahchyd herself in the vysage. c 1340 Nominale (Skeat) 14 Forhede, visage, and browes. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1162 Þe bond þat is fysage was bounde wyþ. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 141 To treten of anotamie of þe visage. a 1450 Mirk's Festial 141 Then had þis Vaspasyan..a maledy yn hys vysage. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon ix. 230 They scratched theyr vysages & pulled theyr heeres. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 296 He was sore hurt in the bodye and in the visage. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 144 Vpon the next occasion that we meete, With Visages displayd to talke and greete. 1632 J. Pory in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. III. 272 One out of the house dischardged haile shot upon Mr. Atturnies sonnes face, which..pitifully mangled his visage. 1653 W. Ramesey Astrol. Restored 297 Rubbing their feet about their visage and head, whence the vulgar usually say at such times, the cat washeth her face. 1697 Dryden æneid ix. 1019 Scalp, face, and shoulders, the keen steel divides; And the shared visage hangs on equal sides. 1715 Pope Iliad ii. 331 Shrunk in abject fears, From his vile visage [he] wiped the scalding tears. 1784 Cook's Voy. II. iv. i. 273 Sometimes the orator of the canoe would have his face covered with a mask, representing either a human visage, or that of some animal. 1797 Godwin Enquirer i. xii. 108 There are no wrinkles in his visage. 1842 Borrow Bible in Spain vi, The sun burnt my visage, but I heeded it not. 1847 C. Brontë J. Eyre xxvi, The maniac bellowed: she parted her shaggy locks from her visage. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. v. 41 The ruddy fire-light..lending animation to the visages sketched upon them [sc. the walls] with charcoal. |
† b. in one's (or the) visage, in or to one's face.
| 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas v. x. (1554) 120 b, On a day, the story telleth us, With Affricans and folkes of Chartage, Siphax the Romaines met in the visage. 1470–85 Malory Arthur i. xi. 61 But euer the xj Kynges and their hooste was euer in the vysage of Arthur. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 18/2 That the moneye..he tooke and dyde with all his prouffyt, and [it] was prevyd in his vysage that [etc.]. 1521 Burgh Rec. Stirling (1887) 12 Frier Wynssent..protestit solemnitly in presens of the saidis ballies, and in the vesiagh [sic] of the haill court, that [etc.]. |
2. The face with reference to the form or proportions of the features.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 18858 O suilk a moder, wel slik a child, Wit fair wisage. 13.. K. Alis. 6425 (Laud MS.), Anoþer folk bisiden is, Wiþ brode visage, & pleyn, I wys. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 383 In wysage wes he sumdeill gray. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 110 A not-heed hadde he, with a broun visage. 1422 Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. 228 Tho that haue grete visachys and fleschy bene dysposyd to concupyscence. c 1470 Gol. & Gaw. 88 With vesage lufly and lang, Body stalwart and strang. 1480 Caxton Myrr. i. xiv. 46 They be dyuerse in somme caas or of body or of membres..or of the visage. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon xxiv. 71, I neuer sawe..soo fayre a creture in y⊇ visage. 1550 J. Coke Eng. & Fr. Heralds §5, Saynt Gregory..writeth..howe the vysages of Englande resemble more unto aungelles than earthly creatures. 1592 R. D. Hypnerotomachia 34 b, With a visage adulterated betwixt a mans and a Goates. 1625 B. Jonson Staple News ii. i, Shun. And such a parboil'd visage! Fit. His face looks like a dyer's apron, just. 1697 Dryden æneid ix. 890 Old Butes' form he took,.. His wrinkled visage, and his hoary hairs. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 518 ¶9 The intrinsick Worth..is ordinarily calculated from the Cast of his Visage, the Contour of his Person [etc.]. 1769 E. Bancroft Guiana 133 The visage of this animal is erect, & pretty much resembles that of the Quato. 1775 Adair Amer. Ind. 5 Their faces are tolerably round, contrary to the visage of the others, which inclines much to flatness. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. I. 72 Their visages, too, were peculiar: one had a large head, broad face, and small piggish eyes. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola iii, A visage like mine, looking no fresher than an apple that has stood the winter. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. xxxii. (1878) 554 The form of her visage was altered. |
3. The face or features as expressive of feeling or temperament; the countenance.
| 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 308 Boldely þei bed bataile with visage fulle austere. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 307 Ȝif þei froþen bi irose fisege aȝen men þat tellen hem treuþe, noo drede þei froþen heere owen confusion. c 1400 Rom. Rose 7402 Of her estat she her repented, As her visage represented. 1448 Hen. VI Will in J. W. Clark Cambridge (1880) 158 As they wol answere before the blessed and dredeful visage of our Lord Jhesu in his..last dome. c 1500 Lancelot 460 The king stondith heuy cherith, And to the clerkis his visag so apperith, That all thei dred them of the kingis myght. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxiv. 221 He was so ouercome with ire.., that his vysage became lyke a flame of fyer. a 1547 Surrey in Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 29 A visage, stern, and myld: where bothe did grow, vice to contemne, in vertue to reioyce. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) II. 58 Mr. George..without stope of toung ansuering, nocht moveing his continance nor changing his vessage. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iii. i. 90 This outward sainted Deputie, Whose setled visage, and deliberate word Nips youth i'th head. 1652 C. B. Stapylton Herodian xix. 158 A mighty Bulke he had and Visage grim. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 989 Him thus the Anarch old With faultring speech and visage incompos'd, Answer'd. 1728 Young Love of Fame i. 219 Hence aching bosoms wear a visage gay. 1771 Goldsm. Haunch of Venison 109 A visage so sad, and so pale with affright, Wak'd Priam in drawing his curtains by night. 1810 Scott Lady of L. iii. iv, His grisled beard and matted hair Obscured a visage of despair. 1834 Hogg Domestic Manners Scott (1882) 31 He looked up to me with a visage as stern as that of a judge. 1860 Motley Netherlands (1868) I. i. 2 A plodding invalid..with..dreary visage. |
† b. to make good visage, to appear cheerful or composed; to make oneself pleasant or agreeable to others. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Shipman's T. 230 We may wel make cheer and good visage, And dryve forth the world, as it may be. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 211 A king schal make good visage, That noman knowe of his corage. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 3 There be suche men that lyethe and makithe good visage and countenaunce to women afore hem, that scornithe and mockithe hem in her absence. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. xcix. [xcv.] 291 Than the duke and these two knyghtes rode along their batayle and made good vysage. |
4. transf. The face or visible side of the sun or moon.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 109 The Mones cercle so lowe is, Wherof the Sonne out of his stage Ne seth him noght with full visage. c 1480 Henryson Fables, Fox & Wolf ii, Hesperous put up his cluddie heid, Schawand his lustie wisage in the sky. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxxiii. 2 As ȝung Awrora,..In orient schew hir visage paile. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. i. i. 210 To-morrow night when Phœbe doth behold Her siluer uisage, in the wat'ry glasse. 1634 Milton Comus 333 And thou fair Moon..Stoop thy pale visage through an amber cloud, And disinherit Chaos. 1667 ― P.L. v. 419 Earth and the Sea feed Air, the Air those Fires Ethereal, and as lowest first the Moon; Whence in her visage round those spots. 1794 G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. IV. xxxix. 88 Sometimes she looks full upon us, and her visage is all lustre. 1847 Whewell Hist. Induct. Sci. (ed. 2) I. 137 note, Aratus says of the moon,..As still her shifting visage changing turns By her we count the monthly round of morns. |
† b. The face or surface of the earth. Obs.—1
| c 1500 Lancelot 1374 He distroys by vengance of his suerd The synaris fra the vysagis of the Erde. |
5. In various figurative uses. (Cf. 7.)
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus v. 899 Dowble wordes slye, Swich as men clepe, ‘a word with two visages’. c 1557 Abp. Parker Ps. lxxx. 234 Visite thy vyne O Lorde..that it may be reuiued continually by the brighte visage of thy presence. 1602 Shakes. Ham. iii. iii. 47 Whereto serues mercy, But to confront the visage of Offence? 1611 ― Wint. T. i. ii. 266 Beseech your Grace Be plainer with me, let me know my Trespas By it's owne visage. 1646 J. Hall Horæ Vac. 10 To propose his adversaries arguments with their edge blunted; nor..to set them out in more horrid visages then they truly carry. 1818 Shelley Eug. Hills 173 The tattered pall of time, Which scarce hides thy [i.e. Venice's] visage wan. |
† 6. An image or likeness; a portrait. Obs.
| c 1375 Cursor M. 1971 (Fairf.), I made mon ofter myne awen visage. a 1400–50 Alexander 3362 (Dubl.), Who⁓someuer in þat ilke hys vysage [v.r. ymage] behaldes, Þe face is to þe foldward þe fete into þe welkyn. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 395 This is the lively visage in deede, both of the one and the other. |
7. An appearance or aspect. † by the first visage, at first sight.
| 1422 Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. 157 Ofte tymes verite hath a vysage of lesynge, and ofte tymes a lesynge hath a coloure of verite. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 193 As be the first visage it semys that he suld nouthir obey to the tane na to the tothir. 1531 Elyot Gov. i. x, To here thinges merueilous and exquisite, whiche hath in it a visage of some thinges incredible. 1692 Ray Creation i. (ed. 2) 103 The sad and melancholick Visage of their Leaves, Flowers and Fruit. 1811 Pinkerton Petral. I. 351 Noble serpentine..is generally of a dark leek green, and of an unctuous visage. 1905 Times, Lit. Supp. 27 Jan. 28/3 Freeman..tries to reconstitute the visage of the towns Pippin..took and the towns he passed by. |
† 8. An assumed appearance; an outward show; a pretence or semblance. Obs.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 227 Thing which men nevere afore knewe He broghte up thanne of his taillage, And all was under the visage Of werkes which he made tho. 1524 St. Papers Hen. VIII, VI. 280 Demonstracions and colorable dealinges..sounding more to a shewe and visage then to any parfite frute. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 1211/2 They see him so many times make a great visage of warre, whan he myndeth it not. 1604 Shakes. Oth. i. i. 50 Others there are Who trym'd in Formes, and visages of Dutie, Keepe yet their hearts attending on themselues. a 1684 Leighton Comm. 1 Pet. iii. 15 ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked.’ He looks through all visages and appearances, in upon the heart. |
† b. to give a visage, to create an appearance or impression. Obs.
| 1549 Bonner in Foxe A. & M. (1563) 717/1 Lest that they tarieing with such preachers should..gyue a vysage to the encouragement of other. Ibid. 718/1 Your tarieng with him still..shal geue a visage, that there doctrin is tollerable. |
9. Comb., as visage-burner, visage-changed adj.
| 1625 K. Long tr. Barclay's Argenis ii. viii. 88 As once in Tyre Pale, guilty, visage-chang'd Penthevs appear'd. 1824 J. Bowring Batavian Anthol. 158 Beast—annoyer—visage-burner—Fair-one's spoiler—maiden's hate. |
▪ II. † ˈvisage, v. Obs. rare.
[f. prec. F. envisager is recorded only from 1583, and there is no independent evidence for Palsgrave's visager.]
1. trans. To face or confront.
| c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 1029 Al hadde man seyn a thyng with bothe hise eyen, Yit shul we wommen visage it hardily, And wepe and swere and chide subtilly. |
2. To look upon or at; to regard or observe.
| 1450 Paston Lett. I. 150 My Lord was with the Kynge, and he vesaged so the mater that alle the Kynges howshold was and is aferd ryght sore. 1530 Palsgr. 765/2 This man hath vysaged me well sythe I came in a dores. 1531 Elyot Gov. ii. ii, The theues..humbly approched to Scipio, who visaged them in suche fourme that they..made humble reuerence. |
Hence † ˈvisaging vbl. n., meeting, encountering. Obs.
| a 1500 Gough Chron. in Six Town Chron. (1911) 159 The duke of Somersett and Sir John Nevyle knyght son of the Erle of Salisbury had grete visagyng to gidder at London. |